


In the Ruins

by Yasunori



Series: In the Ruins Universe [1]
Category: Bandom, Dir en grey, Jrock, Lycaon (Band), MEJIBRAY, MUCC, Music RPF, Nocturnal Bloodlust, Real Person Fiction, Royz, lynch., the GazettE
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Alpha/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Barebacking, Biting, Body Modification, Bonding, Consensual Power Imbalance, Consensual Sex, Dominance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Fingerfucking, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Knotting, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Oral Sex, Past Character Death, Piercings, Porn With Plot, Post-Apocalypse, Scenting, Self-Lubrication, Sexual Content, Smut, Submission, Tattoos, Violence, Wasteland, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:36:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6155365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yasunori/pseuds/Yasunori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For two years now, the world has been thrown into chaos, as disaster has left society in ruins. Koichi has been hanging on in a world where being an omega has become a dangerous thing. He’s lost his friends, and now it seems it will be his turn to lose his freedom or his life to an alpha. Until a stranger saves him and shows him some alphas can still be trusted. But can they, really? And is there anywhere in this world that is safe anymore?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing a fic ever. English is not my first language and I don’t have a beta reader (no pun intended), so please excuse any and all mistakes. Also, I made some changes here and there to the characters, to fit the story better. In reality Koichi is actually the tallest in the band, but he looks small and fragile and that was the feeling I wanted to convey. Let’s call it artistic freedom. ;) This is my personal take on alpha/omega dynamics.
> 
> Also, the main pairing might seem a bit odd, but I think they would look cute together, and this is my fic, so I decide who gets to be smutty with whom. :P You have to wait a little while for the smut, but I’ll try to make the wait worth your while. And yeah, well, I don't own any of the characters. Unfortunately.
> 
> Anyways, hope you like it!

Shit. Shit shit shit. No heat suppressants. Not one packet in the entire pharmacy. He’d gone through every broken shelf, sifted through every cracked drawer. But he hadn’t been the first one here, and he probably wouldn’t be the last omega to stand here hoping to find those little blue pills of salvation in this fucked up world. Hoping to find the thing that could mean the difference between life and death in the ruins.

Koichi let the last empty drawer drop to the floor with a deep sigh and tried to fight down the desperation he felt creeping up on him. Desperation led nowhere, and wouldn’t help him find what he needed.

He sat down tiredly and slumped against a wall in the corner, instinctively putting a cabinet between himself and the windows so that he was hidden from view from outside. He was tired to the bones, hungry and filthy. His once pink hair had grown out black and the pink tips were all that was left to remind him of the life he once had. And to top it all off, he was heading for a heat daze in less than four days unless he got lucky and found a pack of suppressants somewhere.

Shit.

It was dangerous enough just to be an omega, smaller framed and weaker than the alphas. If you were clever and stealthy you could get by through hiding and always keeping clear of other survivors – especially alphas – but it was a constant struggle. But to be in heat meant there was no place to hide. Your scent grew strong, impossible to hide, and it would shine like a beacon to every alpha around. And they all followed the beacon alright, their hormones as raging as the omega’s.

As if that wasn’t enough, to go into heat meant losing most of your cognitive skills and wandering around in a daze, driven by an impossible urge to find someone who could help you scratch that impossible itch. It drove you into the arms of exactly the ones you needed to hide from, if you wanted to be sure to stay alive and be able to make your own choices.

Alphas weren’t exactly known to see omegas as even remotely equal, even Before. The rules of society kept them in check, with the occasional rapist asshole and the occasional good guy to level out the general population of alphas who just saw themselves as superior to omegas, and acted as such. Granted, there were enough rapists to make a careful omega doubt even the good guys. But still, there were rules. An omega had rights, an alpha couldn’t force a mate bite on an unwilling omega without legal consequences. Well, at least not in theory, though few alphas were ever tried and sentenced for it. And even if they were, it didn’t really do much to help the bitten omega, as the bond of a mate bite was irreversible. Once an alpha had laid his claim on you, you were his.

Sure, omegas were submissive and alphas were dominant, that was all down to genetics and instincts and nothing Koichi could or even wanted to change. Nothing gave him such a thrill as an alpha asserting his dominance over him in bed, and he didn’t mind the everyday stuff either, but he had yet to meet an alpha he liked enough to even consider the permanent bond of a mate bite. And though he liked a little power play, that didn’t mean he wanted to be mistreated, beaten, raped or kept as a slave. He liked being submissive, but he had to be able to trust his alpha to not take advantage of that and hurt him. In his mind and the law’s, there were limits to what an alpha could and should do.

At least there had been back when life had been normal. Back when people had jobs, and went to concerts and bars at night, and sent their kids to school in the morning. And now? Now all bets were off. The rules were gone along with the society he had grown up in, and it was each man for himself.

. . . . .

At the beginning, in the immediate aftermath of the devastating disaster, Koichi had tried the strength in numbers strategy. He’d found some other omegas to gang up with, and for a few months they did pretty ok. They found food often enough not to starve to death. They found at least basic medicine and the all important suppressants in the battered remnants of pharmacies here and there. They stayed clear of other groups, kept their heads down when alphas came close and fought off occasional weaker aggressors together when it couldn’t be helped and a fight was unavoidable. They were getting by.

But then winter came. And in the cold, food was becoming scarce. And then the heat suppressants were starting to become harder and harder to find. There were too many who needed them, and no factories to make them anymore.

Mia was the first to go into heat. He was such a beautiful young thing, his scent sweet, delicious and strong. They tried to run, they tried to hide, they tried to find some place where there was still a working lock strong enough to keep a pack of crazed alphas out. But in the end, they didn’t stand a chance. Two alphas sniffed them out that same evening, broke down the door to the public restroom they had found and, like animals circling a prey, they locked on to the dazed blonde.

There was no choice. To save themselves they had to leave Mia behind and run. The three of them stood no chance fighting off two strong alphas, let alone get their dazed and horny comrade out of there with them. The alphas had been preoccupied with fighting each other for ownership, pulling at Mia while throwing fists at each other, and the three omegas scrambled away without them noticing. Koichi got in the way of a punch and split his lip, but the alpha in question didn’t even notice. The blonde omega himself was too far into heat, and instinct had him begging for an alpha, any alpha, to please just rut him. The last Koichi had seen of his friend was one of the alphas ripping Mia’s clothes off while sinking his teeth into the omega’s neck, claiming the boy as his, while the defeated alpha was crawling bleeding on the floor.

Meto grew quiet after that. He stopped speaking to Koichi and Tsuzuku and closed himself off from the other two. The boy was so young, so small, so fragile. Meto was not cut out to handle this new and violent world, and Mia had been his security blanket and closest friend. He spent the weeks after the loss of Mia trailing after the others, hugging a ripped and torn teddy bear to his chest. He stopped caring about keeping himself hidden from others and several times the other two had to drag him out of sight and into safety. He shook his head most times when the others tried to get him to eat something. One extra cold night, while on his watch in the early morning hours, he got up and left the other two sleeping, wandering out alone into the wrecked remnants of the world. He left all of his things and his blanket behind, only carrying the teddy bear in his arms. They never saw him again.

They searched for Meto for a while, hoping against hope they’d find him somewhere, but as the days and weeks passed they finally gave up. Tsuzuku and Koichi made it through the winter together. Tsuzuku was the physically stronger of the two and Koichi the better strategist. They found enough food and suppressants to make it into the spring without too many close calls and incidents. No deadly incidents, anyway, which was what counted. Anything could heal but death. All in all, they got on ok. But in late April their luck finally ran out.

Tsuzuku had felt his heat coming in time for them to find a place to hide. They found a storage room deep in the basement of a wrecked building where the only entrance was hidden behind rubble, making it almost invisible. They closed five doors between themselves and the entrance, locking the two that still had working locks. Tsuzuku wrapped himself in as many blankets as he could to keep the scent closed in as much as possible. Koichi stood watch over him, making sure to feed his friend at regular intervals.

They could have made it, had Koichi been stronger. If it had been the other way around and he had been the one in heat, Tsuzuku could have held him down and stopped him when his heat hormones took hold of him and his body started trembling with need.

But it wasn’t Koichi who was in heat, it was Tsuzuku. And Koichi wasn’t strong. He was small and thin with delicate features and large dark eyes that made him look even more innocent and fragile. He was younger than his friend and significantly shorter. And even with all his strength combined, he couldn’t stop Tsuzuku when the omega’s dazed mind decided he should leave. The omega clawed his way past Koichi, fighting the younger man off. With a last swipe of his fist he sent Koichi’s small body flying, hitting the wall head first. When Koichi came to, the doors were open and his last companion was gone. Koichi swore then and there that there would be no other.

. . . . .

He had done ok on his own. He missed company, sure, but the risks of approaching strangers outweighed the benefits by far. The numbers of survivors had dwindled over the course of the year, as the food supplies of the world started to run out. At first he had thought that a new government might rise out of the rubble, that someone, somewhere had enough left to pick up the pieces and make some kind of working society. Perhaps the military had enough things holed up in their bunkers to make it when the world was set ablaze?

But the more he wandered, the more he realized that it was all gone. Wherever he went buildings were destroyed, most people were dead or dying and all stores had been looted for everything of value to survive. There was no military left, no government, no one to save him and rebuild what was lost.

It had been over a year now since Tsuzuku left, and he had made it through on his own. It was easier to find food and shelter for one person than four, and he had managed to find enough suppressants to dodge the four heats he would have had over the course of the past year. Stretching the number of hours between pill intakes from the required 24 to first 30, then 35, gave him enough chemicals to keep his hormones from completely taking over while saving pills for the next heat. If he stayed hidden and made sure to hole up in places where the stink of things rotting were strong enough to cover his increased scent, he could live another day.

At first, right after the disaster, the corpses had been enough to make him keel over and empty his stomach several times a day. But surprisingly quickly he got used to their constant presence wherever he went. Those who didn’t manage to block them out and see them as objects rather than people, those were the ones who became a corpse themselves soon enough. You had to harden your heart, you had to toughen up to survive, and Koichi did. He even learned to use the stink of rotting corpses to mask his scent while in half-heat. Sure, it was disgusting and the stink of things rotting never really left him anymore, but he did what he had to do to survive.

But now it was time for his heat again, and he was out of luck. He had one pill left. One. It wouldn’t do more than postpone the inevitable for one more day.

Slumped in the corner behind the cabinet, he considered his options. Should he continue searching for suppressants, or should he try to find a place to hole up and pray that he could keep it together better than Tsuzuku had? Maybe if he split the pill in two and took half a dose? But it wouldn’t be enough, he knew it wouldn’t be. He had to find more.

He only had four days, including his precious saved pill, and to his knowledge he had tried every pharmacy or store with possible suppressant stashes in this little town. That meant leaving for the next town, at least two days away by foot, or starting to search through houses, hoping against hope to find a pack of pills in someone’s deserted bedside table or bathroom cabinet. But searching through houses took time, and he would run the risk of running into a beta or alpha who had holed up somewhere in the ruins. Betas were marginally better than alphas, at least they weren’t looking to abusive him sexually, but that didn’t mean they were willing to let him come into a house they had claimed as theirs. He had several big scars proving betas could be just as dangerous as an alpha.

Koichi twisted a lock of pink hair between his fingers while he tried to decide on a course of action. His stomach had long since stopped grumbling and had now went past growling into full-on screaming. Forming thoughts were getting harder by the minute, as his weakened body begged for food. He slipped his backpack off his shoulder and was just about to open it to see what he had left to eat when he heard a noise from the broken, wide open, store window. Koichi froze, adrenaline starting to pump through his system as he strained his ears. Another crackling noise from shards of glass ground into the floor by a sudden weight. Steps. Fuck.

He had lingered too long in a place that was bound to attract others, fuck, what was wrong with him?! _A rookie mistake, please god don’t let me die because of a rookie mistake._ It was the damn hunger’s fault, dulling his mind! Fuck!!!

With a deep breath, Koichi pushed the panic to the back of his mind, focusing on what was happening. Ok - now what? His eyes darted around the room, looking over the possible exits. The steps were approaching from his right. On the opposite wall from where Koichi sat, the store’s sliding glass doors had stuck before closing completely. This left a small opening, big enough for Koichi to wriggle through if he didn’t wear the backpack. That was the way he had come in, but it was a tight fit and he wasn’t sure he could do it quick enough to get away from someone who tried to grab him.

To his left was a door to the back room. He had gone through the room thoroughly and the only way out of there was a broken window high up on the back wall. Out of habit he had stacked things against the wall beneath it so that he could climb out in case he needed to, but it would be noisy, and again, not fast enough to escape an attacker lunging at him.

Hiding? Not an option. The stranger would be sure to turn this place inside out as thoroughly as he had, hunting for painkillers, antiseptics and the likes. He would be found in two minutes flat.

He tried to peek between his protective cabinet and the wall to get a glimpse of whoever was in there with him, but could only see a vague shade on the wall. A second later the stranger’s scent hit him. An alpha. Fear hit him full on, and he swallowed hard and tried to calm his racing heart. If the alpha hadn’t already felt Koichi’s scent, he would any second now.

He was out of options, he had to run for it, and fast. Koichi decided the doors he had come through was his best option after all. If he made it through quick enough, the alpha would be too big to be able to follow him through and had to go the long way round through the front windows. It was a long shot either way, hoping he could outrun an alpha, but he saw no other option.

Koichi grabbed his bag tightly in his left hand, took a deep breath and lunged forward. He didn’t waste any time glancing towards the alpha to pinpoint his position in the room. He just sprinted the few meters over the floor to the doors and started pressing through, sucking his nonexistent belly in as much as he could while he desperately pressed his thin body through the opening.

. . . . .

He thought he was going to make it. He really did. But the moment he felt the doors loosening their grip on him, his body finally on the other side, a hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him back, hard. The sudden tug backwards made him lose his footing and he felt the sharp pain of a split eyebrow as his head banged into the door. Dizzy from the blow, he did his best to resist but had no chance against the alpha leaning into him.

With a hard tug, he was back inside the store, a tall alpha grabbing his upper arms. Koichi struggled in vain in his hands, his wriggling affording him a hard slap over the left cheek. The split eyebrow was starting to fill his right eye with blood, and he blinked, trying to see the alpha who caught him.

The man looked a bit ragged, his dark hair hanging loose around a bearded, unfriendly face. The alpha was of stocky build and though he had obvious muscles underneath a layer of looser skin, it was clear that he had been a very fat man Before, the skin not keeping up with the weight loss of the new world. It was making his face look somewhat shapeless, which scared the still somewhat dizzy Koichi almost more than anything else. It was as if the alpha was fuzzy around the edges and it made him seem unreal in some strange way.

“Hey honey, where do you think you’re going?” the alpha grinned, eyeing his body hungrily. “Not much meat on you, no alpha to take care of you, huh?”

His grin grew wider as he looked the trembling, bleeding omega up and down while he assessed what he had in his hands. A lone omega. Helpless, unclaimed, no alpha mate to fight over this one. A welcome prize. The omega had stopped struggling for a moment and now hung limp in the alpha’s hands, his toes barely touching the floor.

“Hm, you’re tiny and bony. Not much of a keeper, I’d say, and you stink. But if we get rid of those clothes I’m sure you smell good enough. I can ignore some sharp bones and a little dirt for a good fuck. You’ll probably break before we get very far, but I’ll take what I can get.”

The words barely registered in Koichi’s mind. The tone of the alpha’s voice, the smirk, it was enough to tell him what he needed to know. He was fucked.

Panic gripped him and he started struggling again, kicking violently while squirming in the alpha’s grip. Somehow he managed to connect his knee with the alpha’s crotch, not hard enough to make the alpha let go, but enough to piss the man off.

“Ow, you little shit! I’ll teach you to keep still,” he growled and raised his hand for another blow. This one hit Koichi on the right cheekbone, the omega’s ears ringing with the force of it. “I said… keep… still!” The alpha’s voice made Koichi’s skin tingle with fear, but he couldn’t stop struggling. Once he did, it would all be over.

The alpha suddenly yanked him around and slammed his weakened body face first onto the wall beside the doors. He used his superior strength to hold the omega up so that his feet were completely off the ground. Koichi’s arms were twisted and locked in a tight grip behind his back, the strain on his elbow making him cry out in pain.

“You hurt me, I hurt you, little one,” the alpha growled in his ear before he shifted his grip and threw the omega over the counter next to them, ignoring the broken glass and debris on the surface. He kept the omega’s arms locked behind his back as he ground him into the rubble. A shard of glass pierced Koichi’s jacket, and the omega screamed as he felt the glass pierce his side. The alpha didn’t seem to care as he shifted both of Koichi’s wrists into one hand, leaving one hand free to tug the omega’s pants down. The shift gave Koichi a chance to loosen his left arm, and he flailed wildly, trying to get hold of something that could give him leverage.

The alpha swore loudly, very pissed off by now. A second later he had grabbed Koichi’s left arm just above the wrist, and with a twist of the alpha’s hand and a loud crack the omega felt his arm break. The pain was unbearable, and he screamed again, his throat becoming raw from the noises he made.

He gave up right then. In that moment, through all the pain and fear and screaming, he felt his will waver and break. This was it. He was done, no more power left in him. He gave in to the tears and the pain, and just gave up. His life was over, he was just waiting for the last remnants of it to fall to the floor. He was hanging over the counter, limp and crying, as he heard the zipper in the alpha’s pants open behind him.

“Hey, asshole. Let go of him.”


	2. Chapter 2

At first neither the alpha nor the omega registered the voice from the broken window, both too wrapped up in what was happening to take in the surroundings. That quickly changed as a bat hit the alpha just behind the right ear and he stumbled, losing his grip on Koichi as he fell to his knees. Stunned and angry, he started to turn around to face the attacker.

“That’s right, fatso! I’m talking to you,” the figure said before lifting the bat again, hitting the kneeling alpha across the temple, sending him to the floor.

Koichi still hadn’t quite grasped what was happening. He was still sprawled over the counter, crying violently, pain searing through his body. Slowly he started to realize that the pressure of the alpha on his back was gone, and that he was no longer restrained. In the corner of his eye he could barely make out the shape of his attacker on the floor, temporarily knocked out. He still couldn’t see who had put him there though, but his nose told him it was another alpha.

He waited, resigned to his fate, for the new alpha to take the other’s place and continue the rape, now that the omega had stopped struggling and was easy to handle. As the seconds ticked by, he started to feel confusion and a cautious hope rising. He heard the new alpha ruffling through the pockets of his floored victim, looking for useful things to steal. Maybe he was too preoccupied with his opponent, so that Koichi could slip away without him noticing? It was a vain hope, but if there was a chance… Carefully and infinitely slowly, he rose from his position and turned around to glance at the newcomer.

He was tall, slim but with a strong, wiry frame and good posture. He wore jeans, a black shirt and an open hoodie underneath a black leather jacket. His black hair was pulled back, showing off a handsome face with a strong chin and beautiful, full lips. Koichi saw a neck tattoo peak out of the hoodie, and a star tattoo adorned the hand that still held the bloody baseball bat. He was also, very obviously, between Koichi and any possible escape route.

Koichi felt his hope fall. It was useless. He couldn’t move fast enough to get away, not like this, and the pain was nearly making him throw up. His only hope was that this new attacker was a little less violent than the other, and that he would just rape him and leave him behind rather than beat him to death or bite him.

The omega watched as the alpha finished his search, pocketing a knife, some bandages and what looked like a thin, coiled metal wire. He then stood up and prodded the floored alpha with his foot to see if he was still out of it, before he turned to Koichi. The omega found himself nailed into place by two piercing dark eyes, suddenly fixating him. He felt his breath hitch as the fear and uncertainty hit him full on. What would the alpha do to him? For a few moments they just stood there, eyes locked to each other’s. Koichi felt tears still running down his cheeks, mixing with the blood from the eyebrow and smearing it all over his cheek. His right eye was clogged shut by blood, his left cheek was red and his right cheekbone was beginning to swell up. He had no doubt he looked like a mess, but he didn’t make a move to dry the tears off. He just stood there, holding his breath, transfixed by the alpha’s stare.

“You might want to pull your pants up,” the alpha suddenly said, breaking the spell. _What?_ Koichi couldn’t believe the words but he wasn’t about to argue. He scrambled to pull his pants up with his only functioning arm. It wasn’t easy, but thankfully the sweat pants he wore could be operated with one hand, if clumsily. He couldn’t help wincing though, or stop a little whimper from slipping out when he accidentally brushed against his side, where a piece of glass still pierced his skin. He carefully lifted his ripped shirt a little and looked down, only to turn pale at the sight of a piece of glass protruding from the side of his belly. It had just missed his tattoo, blood trickling down over an X.

The sound of movement made him look up quickly and instinctively take a step back into the counter.

“It’s ok, I won’t hurt you,” the alpha said, taking another step towards Koichi. The omega had nowhere to go, his back digging into the counter firmly, and panic started to rise within him again. The alpha stopped, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace.

“Hey, relax, it’s ok. I won’t hurt you, I promise. Ok? Listen, my name is Hazuki. What’s yours?” The alpha looked at Koichi expectantly, still not making a move forward or taking his hands down. Ok, there was really no harm in him giving out his name, he guessed.

“Koichi,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Nice to meet you, Koichi. There, see, we know each other now, so why would I hurt you?” Hazuki said reassuringly. Though the lack of logic in that statement made the omega’s mind boggle, he also had nowhere to go, seeing that he was backed up against the counter without anywhere to run. So he resigned to watching the alpha’s movements warily. Looming over Koichi, at least a head taller than him, the alpha stretched out his hand slowly as though not to scare him and gripped his chin lightly between thumb and forefinger. He carefully turned his face from side to side, inspecting the damage with a frown. He then crouched down in front of Koichi and inspected the wound in his stomach.

“I can’t see how deep it is until we get the glass out,” he said after a moment, rising. “We need some tongs and antiseptics, plus bandages of course. Maybe needle and thread if it’s deep. I take it you’ve looked through everything, or did he catch you before you had a chance to?” Koichi nodded quietly, shocked into silence by the fact that Hazuki talked to him as if he was a person instead of prey. When the alpha raised his eyebrow at him in a silent question, he quickly opened his mouth to speak.

“I found some antiseptic wipes and salve. It’s meant for cats, but I guess it works on people too if you can’t find the normal stuff,” he mumbled quietly, eyes glancing towards his bag on the floor.

Hazuki nodded. “I’m sure it’ll do fine. Tongs?”

“There are some instruments in a drawer in the back, but no tongs. But there are tweezers behind the counter, in the third drawer from the top, they might work if the piece isn’t too thick.” Koichi almost whispered, pulling his right arm around him for comfort. The alpha looked at him with an appraising look and tilted his head to the side. “I see. Good memory, huh? Well, why don’t you get the wipes from your backpack then, while I get the tweezers to get that piece of glass out of you,” he said, his tone of voice gentle but commanding.

“Here? But what if he wakes up?!” Koichi said hastily, worrying that he would make the alpha angry by speaking out of turn but too scared to keep quiet. Hazuki merely looked at him and then towards the unconscious man on the floor and smirked. _Not angry, thank god._

“I doubt it would be very wise to stay here longer than necessary in case fatso here wakes up, though I did hit him pretty hard. But maybe some buddy of his comes looking for him, or some other scavenger, this place does seem to draw a crowd today. But I’m not sure that moving you with a piece of glass in your belly is a good idea either. So we’ll do a quick fix here and fix it better elsewhere, ok?” He spoke softly but with conviction, as if to soothe the omega’s nerves and reassure him, and it seemed to be working because Koichi took a deep breath and felt himself calm down a little bit. The alpha had a deep voice that made the omega feel _safe_. It was stupid he knew, but somehow he trusted the alpha to make the decision. He nodded in acceptance. It felt scary but somehow exhilarating at the same time, and he chose not to think too closely about what that meant. Four days to his heat, which meant his hormones had started behaving a little wonky already.

Hazuki gave him a small smile before he reached down for the omega’s backpack and placed it next to Koichi on the counter, turning his back to him.

Koichi watched the stranger through his only open eye, following the alphas movements as he went through the drawer Koichi had said contained tweezers. The omega couldn’t believe his luck, he was still standing _and_ was getting patched up. Hazuki was probably pretending to be nice so he could lure him off to his lair where a pack of alphas would lie in wait for him. Or he was looking for drugs to make Koichi calm and docile so he wouldn’t fight so much when the alpha took his prize. Not that he could put up much of a fight right now. Whatever the alpha’s plan was, Koichi wasn’t going to say no to some help to put on bandages, especially not if it meant protection from his earlier attacker. The alpha was still knocked out on the floor, and Koichi carefully made sure he didn’t accidentally nudge him and wake him up.

Opening the bag proved to be a challenge with one hand, and he was still struggling with the zipper when his rescuer returned. Hazuki put his hand over Koichi’s, stopping his desperate tugging on the zipper. “What’s wrong with your other hand?” he asked, softly.

“It’s not the hand,” the omega said quietly and glanced up at the alpha, his ruffled hair falling over his face. “He broke my arm,” he admitted a little reluctantly. _Exposing your weakness, not good._ He felt a sob forcing its way out, and did his best to muffle the sound as he looked down into the counter. For a heartbeat there was silence, then Hazuki squeezed his hand quickly for comfort before he took the backpack from Koichi and opened it, quickly spotting the antiseptic wipes. “We’ll need something for a cast as well then, something to set it right,” he said with a light tone of voice as if he hadn’t noticed the tears. “Are there any gypsum binds here somewhere?” The way he phrased the question made Koichi feel like Hazuki was sure he would know the answer. He actually took his word for it and trusted Koichi was right. _Unbelievable._

“No. Nothing for casts,” Koichi replied, puzzled by the alphas attitude towards him. This had to be a game, right? Fattening up the prey?

“Hm, alright, we’ll have to make do with what we have until we can scrounge up the real thing then,” the alpha said absently and crouched in front of Koichi again, wiping off the tweezers with an antiseptic wipe before he carefully grabbed the shard of glass with it, as close to the skin as possible, and then gently started to pull.

. . . . .

When he woke up, Koichi found himself lying on the floor, Hazuki just finishing the bandage on his belly. He gasped and tried to sit up, but quickly lay back down, wincing at the pain.

“Hey, take it slow, you’ve already passed out once,” the alpha said, his voice concerned. Koichi took a deep breath and tried again, pushing himself up slowly with the right hand, Hazuki helping him. “I think I got it all out, it wasn’t as deep as I was afraid of, and if you’re lucky it shoud heal nicely even without stitches. Do you think you can stand?” Koichi nodded and gingerly stood, leaning on the alpha's arm until he found his footing.

“Thanks,” he murmured, unsure of what to say or do now. Hazuki just flashed him a quick smile ( _oh god, what a smile)_ and grabbed his things, including the omega’s backpack and the baseball bat.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. I know a place not too far away where we can stay the night and fix you up a little better,” Hazuki said. He reached his hand out towards Koichi’s but didn’t grab it, just offered the support. Ok, this was it, should he trust this guy or try to make a run for it? He had to make a decision, now. But it wasn’t as if he had much choice. An omega wouldn’t make it far on his own with a broken arm, and besides, he needed help at least for the night until he was patched up. Tomorrow was a different matter, especially with his heat approaching quickly. In a few days, the alpha couldn’t be trusted no matter how much of a nice guy he was – when the heat hormones took over, so did the alpha instincts.

But those were thoughts for another day. For now, he hesitantly reached out his hand and let the alpha take it in his.

. . . . .

Their walk had been slow, with Koichi stumbling several times. The pain in his arm was excruciating, and the hunger that had been forgotten in the adrenaline rush came back in full force. He felt about ready to pass out again, and eventually the alpha hauled him up in his arms, bridal style, and carried him the rest of the way to a house a few blocks from the store. This had been an office, and it was still pretty much intact on the lower floors. Koichi was carried up two stairs and through a corridor until Hazuki finally set him down inside of what looked like a filing room. Binders with now useless papers filled the shelves, and Koichi looked around him while Hazuki put their things down on a table in the middle of the room.

The room was rather small, fairly clean and dry. At least this part of the building hadn’t succumbed to the weather and let the rain in yet. The air smelled of thick paper dust. Along the edge of the ceiling, a row of thick glass blocks let the daylight into the room without exposing them to passers-by. There were two doors in opposite corners, making sure there was an escape route if needed. Out of habit the omega checked to see if the doors could be locked. They could.

Which was exactly what the alpha was doing right now. Koichi swallowed hard and eyed the baseball bat Hazuki had left on the table. He tried to ignore that little voice in his head that said he would be helpless with only one arm if the alpha decided he wanted to hurt him.

But Hazuki merely came up next to him and reached for his own bag, from which he retrieved and opened a can of mushrooms that he handed to the omega. “Here, eat,” he said, putting his bag away, reaching instead for the omega’s backpack. Looking through it, he found a can of beans that he eyed with interest. To Koichi’s relief the alpha put it back in the bag before he kept rooting through the contents.

Koichi just sat still, stunned, staring at Hazuki with the open can in his hand, a fork sticking out. The alpha gave him _food?_ Ok, this wasn’t happening. You didn’t give food to others, especially not people you had just met. It was a trick, it had to be. The mushrooms had spoiled and were poisoned, he was…

“You’re not eating,” Hazuki interrupted his thoughts, as if he was guessing what went through the omega’s head. “There’s nothing wrong with the food, I swear, apart from tasting like shit. I never liked mushrooms. But hey, what can you do, eh? No point in being picky nowadays, right? It’s perfectly good nourishment.”

Koichi’s mouth opened and closed a few times, as he struggled to find words, but eventually he gave up and just murmured his thanks as he put the can down in front of him and started to eat. It was tricky, eating with one hand and keeping the can steady, but he managed and quickly devoured the food. His stomach was upset from hunger and pain and he felt a little lightheaded, but eventually the food made him feel a little better.

While the omega ate, Hazuki picked out all the medical supplies he could find and spread it out on the table, looking through it, reading labels and opening boxes to count pills. It wasn’t much; the opened pack of antiseptic wipes and salve for cats, six painkillers of the common drug store variety, a small bottle of aloe vera gel, some smaller band aids, one pack of bandages and the heat suppressants. Opening the little plastic bottle, Hazuki paused, noting the single pill. He glanced towards the omega and took a little sniff of the air, trying not to be too obvious about it and failing completely.

“How long until your next heat?” Hazuki asked casually, as if it didn’t matter, as he put the pill bottle back down on the table. Koichi swallowed hard and felt his legs tremble as he looked at the alpha through his bangs.

“Four days,” he whispered, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. Hazuki didn’t even look at the omega, just nodded. “Ok,” he said, nothing more. Koichi wasn’t sure what to make of it. Ok, as in “ok, only four days until we’ll jump each others bones no matter what”, or as in “ok, it doesn’t matter since I’ll fuck you before then”, or…

Hazuki interrupted his train of thought again. “I think we’ll start with the arm, it’ll be quick since there’s not much we can do without the proper stuff. Or do you want to clean up the eye and brow first?” Koichi blinked with his open eye, feeling the other itch and sting from the blood and the tears. He wasn’t sure which was best, but he kind of preferred to be able to see what the alpha was doing. “The eye,” he said. Hazuki nodded in acknowledgement and opened his own bag, taking out a sewing kit and a bottle of water.

“Do you want a painkiller before we start?” he asked, glancing at the omega. Koichi thought about it. Painkillers were for emergencies only, since they were so hard to come by, but he could honestly say he hadn’t felt worse in a long time, if ever. The pain seemed to radiate from his arm into the shoulder and neck, his stomach sent bouts of pain through his body with every sudden move, and his cheek and brow were throbbing. If there ever was a time that warranted painkillers, this was it. He nodded, and Hazuki took a pill from Koichi’s own stack and handed it to him silently, offering his bottle of water. Koichi swallowed the pill down with a sip of the precious water, careful not to take too much. He also noted the alpha didn’t have that much left, same as Koichi. _First food, now water? This alpha was unreal._

“Hang on, there’s a bathroom down the hall, there might still be paper left if we’re lucky,” Hazuki said as he unlocked the door and went out into the corridor they came from. He came back a few minutes later with a small stack of paper towels in his hand, closing the door and locking it behind him. “We’ll have to use them wisely, but I think there’s enough,” he said as he put them down on the table and then suddenly reached for the omega. Koichi flinched at the sudden movement and pulled back a little, eyeing the alpha warily. Hazuki sighed, then gave the omega a tired but reassuring half-smile. “Don’t worry, I’m just going to lift you up on the table so I can see better,” he said and reached for Koichi again, the question clear in his eyes. The younger man let out a breath and then nodded.

The alpha put his hands around the omega’s waist, mindful of the wound. For a second Koichi felt a little thrill shoot through his body and pool in his stomach when he felt Hazuki’s strong arms easily lift him as if he was made out of air. _Jeez, what was this guy doing to him?_ Koichi was almost the same height as the alpha when he sat on the table, his feet dangling a good half meter above the floor. He studied Hazuki’s face curiously as he waited for the alpha to carefully wet the paper towels without wasting too much water.

He was attractive, no doubt about that. He had manly features, a finely shaped nose and soft looking lips. He had a small beard, but not too bushy, just a consequence of the difficulties of finding somewhere to shave these days. Like most omegas, Koichi had a naturally hairless face, but alphas usually had at least some amount of hair growth. Hazuki looked like he at least tried to keep it from getting too unkempt when he could. The raven hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, showing off the alpha’s nice cheekbones. And those eyes, god, he had gorgeous expressive eyes, sometimes fierce and piercing, sometimes soft and reassuring. Koichi felt himself start to breathe a little more rapidly, and hastily reigned himself in. Shit, his heat wasn’t going to come early, was it? It must be his hormones doing this to him. Shit shit shit…

Hazuki finished wetting the towels and looked up at the flustered omega, eyebrow raised questioningly. Koichi blushed deep red and thanked the gods it didn’t show, his face already red and swollen from the attack earlier. The alpha started carefully cleaning his face, the omega flinching now and then. He did his best to hold still but it hurt like hell, and sometimes he couldn’t help a little whimper leaving his lips.

“I’m sorry, I have to clean it all off properly so we can see if there’s any damage to the eye,” Hazuki said, compassion in his voice. Koichi just nodded slightly and clamped his jaws together. He could take the pain since it had to be done, but that didn’t mean he could hold it all in. Eventually, the blood was dried off, and Hazuki asked him to open his eye carefully. Koichi blinked a little at the light, trying to adjust. His eye felt muddy and strange from the blood that had poured into it, and the light hurt a little.

“It’s a little red and swollen, but I can’t see any obvious damage,” Hazuki muttered, scrutinizing the eye. “We’ll have to put a stitch in the eyebrow though.” The alpha dried the brow and the needle off with an antiseptic wipe, before he lifted the needle he had prepared. “Ready?” he asked. Koichi was starting to feel a little dizzy again, but still nodded. The stitch hurt like hell but was quickly done, and the alpha put some antiseptic salve and a little band-aid over it before he cleaned the needle and carefully put it away.

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out an eye patch, offering it to Koichi. The omega blinked, surprised. “I found it by the drawers with the tweezers and thought it might come in handy some day,” Hazuki muttered, apparently a little embarrassed by Koichi’s surprised look. “If you think the light is too painful, I mean,” the alpha hastily explained.

Koichi couldn’t believe how thoughtful Hazuki was. He didn’t dare trust the alpha yet, but he felt himself relaxing more and more in the other’s company. He carefully put the eye patch on, Hazuki helping him place it carefully to avoid pressing against the stitched brow. The darkness felt _really_ good, and Koichi smiled gratefully to the alpha.

“Hey, that’s a first,” Hazuki commented with a cheeky grin. “Your smile, I mean.”

Koichi’s eyes widened, the smile disappearing. He couldn’t let his guard down just because the alpha seemed like a nice guy – it wouldn’t be the first time someone had proved him wrong about such things.

“No, don’t stop on my account,” Hazuki said, regretting his comment. “You have such a pretty smile.”

Once again, Koichi found himself blushing, and he looked down quickly to hide his burning cheeks from view. The alpha wouldn’t have it, though, and gently put a finger under his chin, lifting it. They simply looked at each other for a second, before Hazuki carefully turned Koichi’s head so he could look at the left cheek. The other alpha hadn’t gotten a straight hit, and though the cheek was swollen, no real damage was done to it. The punch would leave a nice bruise, but it would heal quickly.

“You’re lucky he didn’t split the brow with the piercing,” Hazuki said, and reached out as if to touch the small barbell in Koichi’s left eyebrow, but stopped just as fingertips were about to brush against soft skin. Miraculously, the piercing in the omega’s chin was also unscathed after the fight, and Hazuki took a moment to admire the small metal orb just beneath that beautiful, full bottom lip. Koich really had the softest looking lips he’d ever seen, Hazuki thought to himself, as he let his eyes linger on that perfect little cupid bow. He thought he had seen a glint of metal in the omega’s mouth earlier, did he also have a tongue piercing? The thought sent a tingle through his abdomen to pool in his groin, and he hastily averted his eyes, reeling himself in.

“Ok, let’s look at that arm of yours now then,” Hazuki decided, stepping back from the omega. Koichi felt himself draw what felt like his first breath in ages, and he realized he’d been completely transfixed by the alpha’s gaze on him. _Please god, not now_ , he prayed silently. Maybe the four days to his heat would be more like two days, at the rate his hormones seemed to start acting up. Even less time to find pills then. That was, if the alpha would let him go out looking for them, he suddenly realized. He wasn’t sure what Hazuki’s plan was, but suddenly he felt scared that this was all a plan to get him into heat faster. Maybe the alpha had him locked up here and wouldn’t let him leave. Koichi suddenly felt a chill at the thought, and he couldn’t help the shiver down his back.

Hazuki looked at him, a worried furrow on his brow. “How are you feeling? Do you need to lie down?” he asked, and Koichi nodded a little. The fear, pain and hunger mixed with his confused hormones had finally taken its toll on him, and he felt completely drained. No matter what the alpha had planned for him, he didn’t have the strength to resist it right now, and he wobbled a little as Hazuki gently helped him to lie down on the table. “I’m sorry, but we need to set that arm before it’s too late,” he said softly. Koichi looked dazedly up at the alpha, wondering why he seemed a little blurry. And why was it suddenly so dark in here?

. . . . .

Hazuki watched as the omega slipped into unconsciousness. He sighed a little, but realized it might be for the best after all, as the pain from setting the arm would be substantial. He got to work, looking around for something to use as a cast and finally settling for a few metal rulers and a ripped curtain he found in one of the office rooms. He gently prodded the arm, trying to feel if the break was clean or not. He wasn’t a doctor, but he had been trained as a field medic in the army during his military service when he was younger, and he felt relatively certain the break was clean enough. It wasn’t like he could do much about it without the help of a doctor, something this world didn’t exactly have in abundance anymore. So he gently cast the arm as well as he could, trying to make sure it was fixed straight. He then gently checked the wound in Koichi’s side, deciding to put two stitches in it for safety, smearing on some more of the antiseptic salve for cats before re-dressing the wound.

When he was done he looked down at the omega, still unconscious. The poor guy was a mess, and he felt a pool of pity in his gut as he looked at the petite figure, all roughed up. Hazuki had never been the violent type. Assertive, yes, and dominant in bed like any alpha of course, but he disliked hurting others and had never gotten off on beating an omega or treating them badly. He liked talking to people, no matter who they were, and as the stronger one he had liked taking care of his past boyfriends but never looked down on them or considered them weak or stupid. He knew he hadn’t shared these ideas with all alphas even Before, but since the world fell, his way of seeing things seemed to have become almost extinct.

Some of it was due to instinct and hormones, he knew that. Not all alphas had great self control to begin with, especially not the younger ones with their adolescent hormones. But mostly he thought people were reverting back to some kind of animalistic outlook on life. They didn’t care about laws from a society that was no more, instead they just took what they wanted. It wasn’t as if they would be punished for it, and if you were strong and wanted something, who could stop you from taking it? Of course any normal alpha could resist an omega who wasn’t in heat, but most alphas just didn’t seem to want to anymore.

Hazuki hated the blatant rape culture that had evolved, and didn’t see eye to eye with most other alphas he'd met After because of it. He wanted to uphold some sort of decent behavior in this fucked-up world. If nothing else, as long as he did he could cling on to the hope that others did too, and that some day they could rebuild something out of this wreckage. Besides, there was something about this particular omega that made Hazuki feel weirdly protective the second he saw him, beaten and crying in the hands of that disgusting fat fuck.

So he ignored that insistent part of his lower body that was keenly telling him to undress the omega and get on with the rutting, and instead just leaned forward and softly let his fingers brush through Koichi’s long wavy hair, the pink mixing with the black. As long as he could help it, he wouldn’t do anything to hurt the omega, and he would do his best to keep him safe for as long as Koichi wanted him to. He knew of course that the omega didn’t trust him, and Hazuki couldn’t exactly blame him, but he would just have to prove himself trustworthy.

However, an omega in heat could be too much even for his self control, and so he worried about Koichi’s heat coming on. Four days, Koichi had said, but his scent said otherwise. He smelled heavenly, and Hazuki couldn’t help but lean down over the omega, softly nuzzling his hair and drawing a deep breath. Excitement started to pool in his stomach, making it’s way downwards, and Hazuki hastily drew back, shaking his head. Something had to be done before their instincts took over, but he couldn’t exactly take the omega with him anywhere right now. He needed to rest and heal, or his weakened body would break beyond repair.

Hazuki sighed and let his finger caress lightly over the omega’s jawline. He had made a decision.


	3. Chapter 3

Koichi woke from Hazuki gently shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes blearily, trying hard to focus on the alpha. Apparently he had been moved in his sleep, and was now lying on a makeshift bed in a corner.

“Hey, I have to go out for a while. Lock the door behind me and don’t let anyone else in, ok?” Hazuki said, trying to get the omega at least remotely awake. “You can go back to bed as soon as you’ve locked the door. Do you understand?”

Koichi blinked and struggled to comprehend what the alpha wanted him to do, but eventually nodded. The room was almost dark now, the sun must have almost set and hardly any light found its way in anymore. Of course they couldn’t risk a candle, even through the thick blocks of glass the tiniest light would shine like a beacon in the night, telling everyone where to find them. So with the alpha’s help, he carefully stood, still a bit wobbly. But he managed to lock the door behind the alpha and crawled back onto the bed Hazuki had made for him, before succumbing to the dark once more. Within a minute his breath evened out to sleep, and he slept dreamlessly, a little frown adorning his face as his body battled the pain.

. . . . .

When he woke again, daylight once more graced the room. There was no sign of Hazuki, and he had no way of knowing what time of day it was or how long the alpha had been gone. Feeling a sting of uncertainty at what the alpha could be doing, he took a deep breath and tried to keep his fear in check. He noted that the arm had a makeshift cast around it, and that his wounds throbbed and hurt but that he didn’t feel feverish. Hopefully no infections then, at least not yet. Apparently cat medicine was good for something, he mused to himself, as he looked around the room. His bag was still there, right next to him, and he was relieved to find that nothing seemed to be missing from it.

The bed Hazuki had made for him consisted of curtains and rugs from the offices, dragged together to make a sort of makeshift mattress. It wasn’t exactly soft and comfortable, but a lot better than sleeping on the floor. Once again, Koichi felt a wave of gratitude mixed with confusion. Why was the alpha doing this? What did he want with him?

A loud growl from his stomach made him realize how hungry he was. The can of mushrooms Hazuki had given him yesterday had only taken the edge off for a while, but now his body screamed for more food if he wanted any healing done, thank you very much. With a little hesitation Koichi pulled out the can of beans, not sure if he should really open it as it was his last food. But his body screamed at his mind to shut the fuck up and eat, so with a sigh he listened and opened the can. With a grimace he drank the thick juice around the beans to catch all nutrients before putting a spoonful of the black stuff in his mouth, chewing slowly. He needed to let his stomach adjust so it wouldn’t all come back out the wrong way, something he had learned the hard way when food had started to be hard to come by.

When the can was empty, he put it down and took another painkiller and a sip of water from his flask. He didn’t have a lot of water left, he would need to get more sooner rather than later, but he was hesitant to leave to search for water in this state. He still felt really weak, and his body protested every movement. He decided to wait just a while longer, laying down on the bed again while going through all the things in his head that the alpha could be doing. Was he looking for food and supplies? Maybe he had left him there, thinking the omega was useless since he was in such poor condition? Or maybe he was fetching some alpha friends? His stomach clenched at the last thought.

As his thoughts continued to swirl, his eyes became heavy and he drifted off to sleep once again.

. . . . .

A loud knocking on the door yanked him from his sleep. Adrenaline surged through him as he fought to focus while the knocking continued. A bit wobbly he rose, silently making his way to the door. He stopped with his hand hovering over the lock, trembling a little. Should he call out? Should he open? What if it was someone else? What if it wasn’t just Hazuki but a whole gang?

“Koichi, it’s me, Hazuki. Open the door,” a familiar voice called out from the other side. Slowly, Koichi reached a decision and unlocked the door. He opened it, heart in his throat. Hazuki filled the opening, and the omega sagged with relief when he saw that he was alone. Koichi backed into the room, and the alpha followed him in, closing and locking the door behind him.

“How are you feeling?” Hazuki said, giving Koichi’s face and body a quick once-over with his eyes. The omega was still pale and his cheek sported a nasty bruise, but at least he was standing and the eye that wasn’t covered by a patch was clear. The omega merely shrugged a little as Hazuki threw down his bag on the table. He opened it, unpacking a bundle of clothes, a few cans of food, two rather large bottles of water and some gypsym binds.

Koichi’s jaw fell at the treasures Hazuki had found. Could it be that the alpha was actually going to share this with him as well? Hope fluttered quickly in his chest, but he didn’t dare to believe until Hazuki told him as much.

“I brought you some clean clothes. I had no idea what size you are, so I grabbed something that looked as if it would fit.”

Koichi blinked. New clothes? Hazuki saw his confusion and grinned a little mischievously.

“Your clothes are torn and bloody, and let’s face it, they probably smelled better at some point.” Koichi couldn’t help blushing a little at that, even though it had been for defense. He accepted the clothes anyway, noticing that the pants were far too big but that there was a tank top and a black long-sleeved top that fit rather well. He also donned a large, brown hoodie that looked oversized on him but was thick and warm and only smelled faintly of a mouldy storage room. With the sleeves rolled up it fit him nicely. Brown was a good color for camouflage.

Hazuki eyed him approvingly. “We’ll find you a smaller pair of pants later. I found a good place for water, but I didn’t have any more bottles. We can top up there later when we need to. We’ll need some water for the gypsym binds, so we can’t drink it all, but it should be enough for at least two days anyway, “Hazuki said, darting a look at the omega. “And here, I found something else.”

The alpha started digging in his pocket, producing a little plastic bottle of medicine and handing it over to Koichi, who accepted it curiously. He turned it over and drew a sharp intake of air as he read the label.

Oh. My. God. Heat suppressants. The alpha had actually gone and gotten him heat suppressants. This wasn’t really happening. He must be dreaming. Stunned, he opened the bottle and peaked inside. Inside were at least 15 of the familiar little blue pills. It was enough to last him at least two heats, three if he used them wisely. That meant at least six months, maybe more, without having to worry about going into heat. Blinking, he lifted his head and stared at the alpha with a look of absolute shock written all over his face.

Hazuki couldn’t help it, he had to laugh. Koichi was too adorable with his eyes wide open, his mouth working but no sound coming out. The tangled bangs of his long wavy hair fell over his face and covered part of the eye patch, making the omega look a little like a child playing a pirate, and Hazuki felt a stab in his heart as he looked at the smaller figure before him. Koichi’s face contorted into a confused frown at the alpha’s laugh, scrunching up his little button nose.

“Why are you laughing at me?” he demanded, shock giving him courage to speak up. Hazuki just smiled at him, and unthinkingly leaned over to give the omega a chaste kiss on the forehead. When he felt the omega stiffen he hastily pulled back, mumbling an apology.

“You needed them, right? I found them at a nursing home when I was looking for gypsum binds. I guess people don’t realize that some older omegas go into heats as well, so no one seemed to have searched for them there,” he said hastily, regretting the kiss. He didn’t want the omega to feel like he was taken advantage of, and warily eyed Koichi to see if his apology and explanation had been accepted.

The omega looked down at the bottle in his hand, and then up at Hazuki again. He still seemed a little shocked, but the reality of it was slowly starting to sink in. The alpha had actually gotten him heat suppressants, and then he had backed off when Koichi got scared by the kiss. Was this guy _for real?_

The omega suddenly felt tears starting to fill up his eyes, unable to take the overwhelming emotions. The alpha’s face quickly grew concerned, but he didn’t have time to speak before Koichi flung himself around Hazuki’s neck, squeezing it tightly while whispering his thank yous repeatedly through his sobbing. Startled, Hazuki hesitated for a moment before putting his arms around the trembling omega, burying his face in pink and black hair while softly stroking the younger omega’s back.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, the omega still softly crying after his words ran out, before Hazuki gently untangled himself from the embrace.

“Hey,” he said softly, letting his fingers brush over Koichi’s trembling lips. “No more crying, alright? I think you need to let your eyes rest a little, and you’re soaking through the eye patch.”

Koichi couldn’t help the laugh that erupted, and he smiled at the alpha through the tears. He carefully dried his eyes on his sleeve before he crouched down and put the pills in the inside pocket of his jacket, pulling up the zipper tightly around them. No way he was going to leave them in the bag, he was going to keep these treasures on him at all times.

“Have you eaten?” Hazuki asked, offering a can. Koichi nodded. “I ate my can of beans last time I woke up, this morn…” He stopped, realizing he had no idea what time it was. “How long were you gone? Did I sleep long?” he asked, a little nervous of the answer. “Three days,” the alpha said, glancing at the omega in the corner of his eye while sorting through the food. The omega paled. “What, shit, _three days?”_ He started counting off the days to his heat, feeling for signs of impending hormones, feeling a little panicky until he noticed the alpha’s smirk. “Don’t worry, I’ve just been gone one night,” Hazuki chuckled. “You’re just so cute when you’re flustered I couldn’t resist.”

Koichi frowned at the alpha, relieved and annoyed at the same time. “Jerk,” he muttered under his breath, flinching a little when he realized he might have gone too far. But Hazuki merely chuckled, shaking his head. “Not my fault you’re so easily riled up,” he quipped with a grin. Then the grin on his face died, and he turned to face the omega. “But if it’s your heat you’re thinking of, I think you might need to take the first pill tomorrow morning anyway. Your scent’s getting stronger by the hour, and I don’t think you have three days until your heat anymore.” Koichi swallowed, and bent his head down, looking at his feet. “My heat’s early,” he breathed, a hint of a question in the statement. After all, an alpha would probably know better than he did, what with their keen sense of smell. “I think so, yeah,” Hazuki said, looking serious. Koichi nodded. “I’ll take it tomorrow.”

. . . . .

After eating, Hazuki helped the omega set a new, real cast for the arm, wiping the greyish gunk off his hands as well as he could afterwards. He sat down against the wall, leaning his head back. He had taken a can for himself and tried to get the omega to eat, but the omega had shook his head and buried the can he was offered in his bag. Hazuki gave up trying to convince him he should eat more, understanding the omega’s need to have at least some food saved for tomorrow. The alpha had been scavenging most of the time he’d been away, just taking a short rest at the nursing home during the darkest hours of the night. He felt the tiredness creep in, and nodded as he started drifting off to sleep.

A few moments later he was roused from his dream state by something that brushed against his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, he found Koichi crouching in front of him, hand quickly drawn back from the alpha’s shoulder. The omega chewed his lip uncertainly under the alpha’s gaze. “What’s wrong?” Hazuki asked, tilting his head a little at the omega. Koichi gave a small shake of his head. “Nothing. It’s just… You need to sleep. And…”

“And what?” Hazuki prodded gently.

“And there’s a bed over there. Well, sort of. Anyway, you should go sleep on it,” the omega said, words a little rushed.

Hazuki smiled gratefully, but shook his head. “It was for you. You’re the one who’s hurt, not me.”

Koichi frowned a little at that, and Hazuki watched those amazing lips form a little pout. “But I’ve been sleeping while you’ve been working. You need it too,” he said.

Hazuki smiled a little at that, happy the omega seemed to have started to care a little for his wellbeing. An idea formed in his head, but he was a little hesitant to voice it - the omega might just freak out. But he finally bit the bullet, and spoke softly, making sure not to sound aggressive in any way.

“We could always share it, you know. For warmth.” Koichi flinched a little and started to draw back, and the alpha instantly regretted his suggestion. “You don’t have to of course, I just thought… it might be nice, just to sleep and keep warm,” he rushed, seeing in the omega’s suspicious eyes that he wasn’t trusted just yet. _Right, backing off now._

“You know, I’ll just sleep a little, and then you get the bed, alright? Wake me in an hour,” he said to brush it off, and quickly made his way over to the pile of carpets and curtains on the floor. Koichi didn’t answer him, and Hazuki decided to let it go. He still felt a little guilty for taking the so-called bed, but his tired limbs were grateful to stretch out on something just a tad softer than the floor. Within a minute he felt himself slipping away into dreamland once more.

. . . . .

Something was tickling his nose. Hazuki turned his head a little as consciousness slowly returned, but the tickling sensation was still there. He opened his eyes to a shock of wavy pink and black hair, a few flyaway strands poking at his nose. The omega was on his side beside him on the carpets, facing away from the alpha. He was spooning close in order not to fall off onto the floor, and Hazuki felt the warmth radiate from the smaller body. The alpha felt his heart beat like a jackhammer, feeling the omega’s little form mold itself perfectly to his, a perfect fit. Koichi’s chest rose and fell slowly in the deep breaths of sleep, and a small hand lay open in front of his mouth, completely relaxed. He was so beautiful, Hazuki thought as his eyes followed the lines of the face and the delicate neck.

Gently as not to scare Koichi, he slithered his arm around the small waist, mindful of the wound, and pulled the omega closer. Then he just lay there, wide awake, his arm around Koichi’s small frame and the omega’s back tightly pressed to his chest. He willed his body to relax and his breath to become slower, and just soaked in the delicious, sweet scent and warmth of the little omega. After a while he slowly nodded off, completely warm and content for the first time in ages.

. . . . .

Koichi opened his eyes to find Hazuki wrapped tightly around him as if shielding him from some unknown danger. The alpha was still asleep, mumbling under his breath as he dreamt. It felt good just to be held by someone again, and even though he was a little fuzzy about the details of whether this was a good idea or not, he couldn’t deny that he had missed having someone else around. He didn’t trust the alpha of course, but it just felt good to actually touch another person, and there was no denying Hazuki was really, _really_ hot. Koichi was warm and comfortable, enjoying a closeness he hadn’t had for a year, not since Tsuzuku. The sudden thought of Tsuzuku made his stomach clench, as he suddenly remembered why being alone was better.

And here he was, letting someone lie close to him again, and an _alpha_ at that. He must be going crazy. It was the heat hormones that made Hazuki smell so good, _not_ the fact that he pretty much had Koichi’s ideal look for an alpha. He was _not_ interested, and he most certainly _did not_ feel strangely relaxed, safe, comforted and more than a little bit aroused, lying close to the alpha like this. Oh god. He needed to take the pill right away.

Hazuki shifted behind him, grunted and stretched a little as he let out a yawn, without releasing his grip on the omega. Rising a little on his elbow, he nuzzled the omega’s neck, and was rewarded with a squirm and a giggle.

“Stop tickling me!”

“Hm? I wasn’t tickling. I was just doing _this_ ”, the alpha grinned and dug down into the nape of Koichi’s neck, nuzzling violently.

Koichi cringed into a little ball and squirmed in his grip, giggling hysterically. He had always been extremely ticklish. An especially violent squirm caused his broken arm to bump into the floor and he yelped in pain. Hazuki drew back quick as a dart, sputtering excuses.

“Are you alright? Let me see!” He sat up next to Koichi and carefully took his arm in his hand, letting his fingers ghost over Koichi’s.

“Stop fussing, I’m fine!” the omega huffed, partly to cover the unsteady breath and tiny shiver the alpha’s touch brought him.

“You’re not fine, you’re pretty messed up actually, so shut up and let me look at you,” the alpha said and gave the omega a grave look, made softer by the little smile in the corner of his mouth. He proceeded to check all Koichi’s wounds, muttering assessments as he went along. “Your fingers are a little swollen, we’d better fix you some kind of arm sling. Can you wiggle them? Good. The cheek is looking really nasty, but the swelling’s going down. The brow’s also less swollen. How about your eye, does it feel any better?” He helped Koichi to remove the eyepatch, smiling at the omega as he blinked in the light.

“ I think so. It feels… a bit sensitive but better.”

“Good. Better keep it in your pocket just in case. Besides, you’ve got that cute pirate thing going there, wouldn’t wanna lose that.” Hazuki winked and gave a big grin at Koichi’s huff and pout. “Pouting doesn’t exactly make you any less cute, you know,” he said and laughed as the omega snorted and tried to roll away. He easily drew the omega back under him, and the omega found himself on his back again with Hazuki leaning over him, face hovering close to his.

For a moment they just looked into each other’s eyes, the alpha’s breath a little jagged and the omega blinking up, mind a little befuddled and pupils dilated as a soft mewl escaped him. Koichi lifted his chin just a little, bringing his lips just a little bit closer to Hazuki’s, and for a second the world stopped as their breaths caressed each other. But then Hazuki pulled away reluctantly and sat back up.

Visibly affected, Hazuki took a deep breath to clear his head. “I… I think you need to take your pill soon,” he said softly, one hand resting on Koichi’s thigh. “I… really… _really_ … want to kiss you right now, but I don’t think that’s such a great idea. Your face is hurt, and I also don’t want it to be just a heat thing, just because your scent is driving me crazy.”

Koichi huffed a little, inexplicably disappointed. It wasn’t like he trusted the alpha enough to let him close, anyway. “What makes you so sure I even want to be kissed by you, idiot,” he muttered, less intimidated by the alpha now that he knew he didn’t get angry at him for speaking out of turn. Hazuki laughed, the tension releasing.

“You can’t wait, you little imp,” he smirked. “Now let me look at the wound in your side.”

He gently checked the wound, saying it looked as well as could be expected, and then paused over the tattoo just beneath the wound, touching the roman numerals questioningly.

“It looks good on you. What does it say?”

“Guess, ” Koichi quipped and smirked mischievously. Hazuki just laughed and shook his head.

“Later. Now, let’s get you some water for that pill, eh?”


	4. Chapter 4

They holed up in the filing room for almost a week, Koichi mainly resting to heal his wounds. When he needed to, Hazuki went out scavenging for food and water, and also brought back a new pair of camo pants for Koichi. They spent the time getting to know each other better, talking and most pointedly _not_ kissing, and by the end of the week Koichi was starting to get a little irritated. He had started to trust the alpha wouldn’t hurt him, and to his shock and annoyance he found himself wanting the alpha to touch him, even though he wasn’t in heat. He wasn’t really sure what it was about the alpha that made him wish Hazuki would jump his bones and get on with the humping already, but he just couldn’t help himself. Whenever the alpha came close he felt his heart thumping loudly. They had taken to sleeping together on the bed every night, Hazuki with his arm wrapped tightly around Koichi. They were both obviously affected by the closeness, but still nothing happened between them and Koichi had started to itch for it.

Koichi usually took a while to warm up to an alpha, even Before. He knew he had trust issues after all the bad experiences both before and after the world fell, and that made him even more surprised at what the other was doing to his groin. It must be the hormones, making him lose his mind like this. At the same time he was grateful to the alpha for not pressing on, making it easier to trust him once Hazuki _did_ kiss him. Well, at least Koichi hoped he would. This was all very confusing.

Koichi was starting to heal nicely, a bit sore still and the arm of course had at least five to seven more weeks left of healing to do, but he was doing a lot better. And after a while, the room started to feel stuffy and Hazuki had to venture further away to find them food. So they packed up their gear, Hazuki packing most of Koichi’s stuff in his own bag so the omega would have a lighter weight to carry and wouldn’t exert himself.

In the early morning light, they set off. Hazuki had explained that he had somewhere to go, at least somewhere he wanted to end up eventually. He was a bit vague on the details, but Koichi understood as much as that there were people he wanted to see on an island to the Northeast. And since he had no plans of his own and still wasn’t sure how he’d make it with only one arm and no help, Koichi tagged along. (It had absolutely nothing to do with Hazuki’s bright smile or his piercing eyes, oh no. And definitely nothing to do with those tattoos he’d seen glimpses of. Ok, so he was _dying_ to see the alpha without a shirt, but that was _not_ the reason he joined Hazuki on his quest. It so wasn’t. The hope of eventual kissing and groping might be, though).

The town wasn’t that big, and after a few hours of walking, with the occasional pause to check out some building that looked interesting, they soon left the suburbs behind them. They had chosen a smaller road, less risk of running into other people and more places to hide if needed than on the highways. After a while they ran out of asphalt and started trampling a dirt road. Koichi had no idea where they were, and was getting a bit nervous. His side and arm had also started aching like crazy again, and he wanted to rest but didn’t want Hazuki to think him weak.

“Do you know where we’re going among all these trees?” The omega broke their silence for the first time since they left town.

“Yup. I have a map.” Hazuki smiled his million dollar smile at Koichi, who felt himself blush at the sight.

“Oh. Good.” Koichi fell silent again and looked down at his feet shuffling along, trying to keep the pain from showing in his face.

“Hang in there for a little while longer, there should be a village coming up soon,” Hazuki promised, throwing his arm loosely around the omega's waist for comfort and support.

Koichi leaned into the alpha. He felt a little sorry for himself but enjoyed the feeling of Hazuki’s arm around him. Apparently the alpha didn’t mind the contact either, as he tightened his grip a little and leaned down to give Koichi a quick kiss on the forehead.

Koichi looked up at him, frowning. “Hey, my lips are down here, and they are feeling a bit ignored,” he whined and pouted. Hazuki just laughed at him and ruffled his hair, the omega trying to get away but was hindered by the alpha's firm hold on his waist.

“No, but seriously,” he said, hoping to sway the alpha. “It’s not like I’m in heat anymore, so you’ve got no excuses there.”

“Are you sure?” the alpha quipped with a smirk. “You sure seem eager enough.”

Koichi punched the alpha in the side and wriggled his way out of his grasp, huffing with annoyance. He was just about to comment when Hazuki suddenly stopped him and put his hand up to silence the omega. They had reached the village.

. . . . .

Hazuki dragged Koichi off to the side of the road and into the forest, finding a large bush to give him cover from the road. He then took off his backpack and put it down by the omega’s feet, pulling out his baseball bat and checking so his knife was securely fastened at his belt.

“Stay here,” he said, letting his finger fiddle with a pink lock of the omega’s hair while he looked Koichi sternly in the eye.

“But…” A finger on his lips stopped his protesting.

“No. You’re still hurt, and I won’t risk leading you into trouble when you can’t defend yourself.” Hazuki’s voice was firm and left no room for debate, and Koichi felt weak at the knees by Hazuki pulling the alpha card, taking charge. So he nodded, it wasn’t as if it wasn’t the right move, he just didn’t want to be left alone again now that he had gotten used to having the alpha around. Damn it. What was that big ape doing to him?

“I’ll be back, I promise,” Hazuki said softly, cupping the omega’s cheek. Koichi looked up at him with big eyes, and the alpha felt his heart wrench at the adorable sight. He slowly leaned in, stopping just an inch away from the omega’s face, and let his eyes feast on those plush, perfectly formed lips. Koichi fidgeted nervously, unsure of what the alpha was doing. But a second later Hazuki tilted his head and closed the distance, letting his lips get their first taste of the omega.

Koichi gasped at the sudden touch of soft lips. There was no tongue, just softness and the sweet taste of the alpha as he let his lips explore this new territory. It was amazingly sweet and enough to make Koichi feel lightheaded once they finally parted. He smiled broadly, looking up at the alpha, grabbing the front of his jacket firmly to steady himself.

“Now that’s more like it,” he sighed happily. Hazuki smiled, licking his lips to get all of the taste of the omega, before he took a step back and removed the omega’s hand from his jacket.

“Stay!” he said firmly but with a little grin, and then turned his back and made his way towards the village.

. . . . .

Koichi waited for what felt like forever until he heard the rustle of leaves and saw the alpha making his way through the bushes, a smile on his lips at the sight of the little omega waiting for him.

“It’s empty as far as I can tell and seems in pretty good shape, considering,” he said and picked up his backpack. “Wanna go explore?”

Koichi nodded enthusiastically, his tiredness forgotten for now.

Hazuki’s assessment seemed to be right, the tiny village of only four houses was abandoned, a few dried up corpses in one of the houses suggested at least some of the inhabitants had probably died during the event or just after. The houses were in good shape, though old and damp. They found a brook behind an old stable, and filled up their water bottles after drinking their fill. Food was a different matter. The kitchens seemed cleared of cans and freeze dried stuff, and something that had once been fresh on a plate had created a green carpet in one of the fridges.

They had better luck in an outhouse, where Koichi accidentally bumped into a crate filled with sand. Curiously he whisked around some of the sand, trying to figure out why it was there, when he unearthed a carrot. It was a little soft and rubbery, but perfectly edible. Exited, he called for Hazuki and together they dug up around 30 carrots that were still good enough to eat. Some were too far gone, but the thought of having actual vegetables made them both giddy with happiness. Finding a bag, they wrapped up their golden find and brought it into the house they had deemed to be the least damp. After taking two carrots each and washing off the dirt, they packed the rest of the carrots in Hazuki’s bag, shoving some lighter stuff over to Koichi’s to make room. Then, finally, they sat down at the kitchen table and let their teeth sink into the food. The crunch was gone, but the taste heavenly, and they were both in a much better mood after finishing their lunch.

Koichi leaned back in the chair, smiling contentedly at the scene. “Look at us, sitting at the dinner table as if we’re an old couple from Before,” he said, feeling rather strange but good about it.

Hazuki threw his head back and laughed. “I don’t know about old, honey, but the couple part I could live with,” he hinted with a smirk and proceeded to enjoy the sight of Koichi’s blush as he hastily looked away. The omega truly was too adorable, a sweet mix of shy and pushy that made Hazuki want to just eat him up. A sudden glint in his eye, he rose and reached out, asking for Koichi’s hand. “Wanna go see if the beds are still in one piece?” he offered, a cheeky grin on his face. Koichi huffed slightly, trying to conceal the shudder going through him, but let the alpha pull him up from his chair and lead the way up the stairs.

. . . . .

There were two rooms upstairs, both in rather good shape apart from the ever present damp. One had been a kids’ room, plastic toys and stuffed animals littered across the floor. The bed was obviously too small for an adult. As they looked around for useful stuff, Hazuki accidentally stepped on something. An iPad, which now had a crack through the entire screen. Useless machinery nowadays, without electricity to feed it. It was funny how the things that had once had the highest value in people’s lives now were the most useless.

Throwing it back on the floor, they went across the hall to look at the other room. Sure enough, it was the master bedroom, with a king size bed holding court in the middle. It didn’t even look too shabby. The funky smell of damp linens which hadn’t been touched for two years wasn’t enough to dissuade Koichi from bounding up on the bed as fast as he could with his impaired capabilities. He turned to Hazuki with a happy grin plastered on his face, looking so exited the alpha had to laugh.

“Yay, a real bed tonight! Just put some blankets on it and it’ll be amazing!” he half yelled, full of excitement. Hazuki walked up to the bed and smirked at the younger omega, amused. Koichi pouted at the gesture. “Why are you always laughing at me? Do you even know how long it’s been since I’ve slept in a decent bed?” Koichi demanded, that cute pout still on his lips. Hazuki just shook his head and leaned forward to kiss the pout away with a quick brush of lips. Koichi’s breath immediately caught and he stopped his ranting to try a different tactic. “Please please pleeeeease can we stay here at least one night? I need to heal you know. Please?” he pleaded, looking up at Hazuki with his best puppy eyed look. This time it was the alpha whose breath hitched, and he closed his eyes briefly while he fought down the urge to grab the omega and pin him down on the bed, grinding their hips together.

“Maybe,” he said, Koichi’s puppy eyes growing even larger, lashes fluttering a little. “ _Maybe,_ ” he repeated. “If the place is secure enough so we can get out if we’re ambushed. And we’ll have to get our bags right away, we shouldn’t have left them unguarded like that.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, the stairs creaking as he descended to the bottom floor. Behind him, Koichi sat on the bed, sporting a disappointed frown. _Damn that alpha._ It was almost as if his unwillingness to just get on with it, or do anything overly physical for that matter, was making Koichi want him more. For the first time in over two years he was eager to fuck an alpha, and as strange as that feeling was to comprehend, it was even worse to realize that he couldn’t seem to get the alpha to want him back. Was there something wrong with Koichi? He had new clothes that didn’t smell as bad, and they seemed to get along well enough. Maybe he just wasn’t Hazuki’s type, he concluded with a tug to his heart, sighing deeply. He splayed back out on the bed, trying to enjoy the softness as much as possible while he could.

. . . . .

He woke with a start a few hours later, a little disoriented from sleep. Hazuki was nowhere in sight, and it was incredibly silent downstairs. Had the alpha abandoned him? Fear gripped Koichi’s heart and he leaped out of bed as fast as he could, his side wound protesting as he ran down the stairs. No Hazuki in the house. He couldn’t see their bags, and he was almost frantic when he ran outside.

“Hazuki!” he yelled, fear making his voice sound weak and pathetic. No answer, and he felt tears well up as he looked around for any sign of the alpha. There were none. Oh god, he had left. Hazuki had left and taken all his stuff and he had left and… “Hazukiiiii!” he cried, his voice breaking.

“What are you yelling about? Don’t let the whole world know we’re here.” The familiar voice startled him, and he turned to see Hazuki coming round the corner of the house. Koichi let out a little whimper and ran up to the alpha, throwing his arms around his waist, sobbing violently.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Hazuki said, gently embracing the trembling omega who was currently bawling his eyes out on the alpha’s chest. “Don’t cry, babe, tell me what’s wrong.”

Koichi’s words were hard to interpret over the sobbing, but he managed to get his message across after a few tries. “I woke up and… you weren’t… there! I thought you… had left me… all alone!” Clutching the alpha hard, he tried to get his trembling under control without much success.

Hazuki’s puzzled face suddenly fell when he realized what was going on. “Oh, honey, why would I do that? If I had wanted to walk away I could have done that the first day we met. Do you really think I would’ve taken care of you for a week and then just upped and left?” He hugged Koichi closer, trying to comfort the omega. Koichi had stopped sobbing but was still trembling a little.

“I was just going to go wash up in the brook, there’s a dam a little further down and I thought it would be stupid not to make use of it now that it’s not freezing outside anymore.” He said, and then added a soft “I’m so, so sorry I scared you, babe.” He cupped the omega’s cheek in his hand, looking down into the teary face, feeling incredibly guilty. “I won’t leave you behind,” he said quietly, holding the omega’s gaze steadily. Koichi blinked a few times before he looked down at his feet. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Don’t thank me for wanting to be with you. Now come on, let’s go wash up! We should wash some clothes as well while we’re at it. I mean, since we’re staying the night and all.”

Koichi looked up, blinking. “We are?” he said, voice still a little unsteady but with a small smile on his lips.

“Yes, we are.”

. . . . .

Even though it wasn’t winter anymore, it still wasn’t very warm outside, but the bath was absolutely worth the effort in Koichi’s opinion. He finally got to see the alpha wearing nothing at all, and it was a glorious sight indeed. The tattoos were amazing, snaking their way over a large part of Hazuki’s chest and arms. The chest and arms those tattoos were on though… hard, wiry muscles, very defined but not to the point of starvation just yet. Tall and slim, hard lean thighs and an ass to die for. And then of course there was that not so little issue between his legs, that made Koichi’s cheeks burn and excitement shoot straight to his groin. Luckily, his cock was under rather cold water at the time and he was spared the embarrassment of showing off his boner.

They finished up the bathing quickly before they froze up completely and pulled on some robes Hazuki had found at the house. They washed their clothes the best they could and tried to wring as much water as possible out of them before returning to the house and hanging them to dry on a rack over the tub. Hazuki then took Koichi’s hand and led him back to the bedroom. Their backpacks stood in the back corner, and Koichi felt a little ashamed that he hadn’t noticed them when he woke up earlier. To his defense, Hazuki had half hid them behind the bed.

The alpha leaned down and grabbed their blankets out of the bags. He spread one over the bed as a sheet, and then put the other on top so that they could creep underneath, getting warm. Koichi felt a little self-conscious as he crawled naked under the blanket. But he soon forgot why, as Hazuki opened his arms and dragged the omega into his arms, snuggling close for body heat. Koichi felt like his heart was pounding so loud the alpha must hear it, what with their damned good hearing, and the small smile on Hazuki’s lips told Koichi he probably did.

For a little while they just lay there snuggling, letting their bodies heat up. After a few minutes Koichi felt Hazuki’s hand start moving slowly, fingers brushing lightly over his chest and arm, rubbing in soft little circles. Koichi let out a little involuntary mewl, his body responding like a hungry animal that had been deprived of food for too long. He arched towards Hazuki, trying to grind their hips together. Hazuki’s hand pushed him back a little, and Koichi whined, confused and beyond horny. The alpha’s hand fell to his side, stopping at the wound. He gently caressed the smooth flesh around it.

“Are you sure you’ve healed enough? I don’t want to hurt you.” Hazuki’s concerned eyes met Koichi’s, and the omega snaked his arms around the alpha in reply.

“Just fuck me already,” he whispered.

Hazuki only hesitated for a second before rolling the omega onto his back, pinning Koichi down beneath him and crushing his lips hungrily down on the omega’s. He was rewarded with a harsh moan as Koichi arched up towards him. Hazuki let his hips roll down against Koichi’s, their half-hard cocks rubbing against each other, making them both groan. The taste of that tongue piercing he’d seen glimpses of was new and exciting, and Hazuki couldn't help suckling it and pulling at it lightly with his teeth.

Koichi’s eyes were closed with pleasure, and so he was taken by surprise when the alpha’s fingers pinched his nipple. With a gasp he opened his eyes and looked into Hazuki’s dark brown orbs, clouded by desire. Slowly Hazuki started kissing and nipping at Koichi’s neck, before moving downward over the chest to his left nipple. He bit it gently, before licking the bud as in apology, all the while letting his other hand massage the omega’s other nipple. Completely lost in the sensations, Koichi gladly let the alpha take control as he made his way down the soft silky belly, kissing, licking and, now and then, biting.

Hazuki paused a little and grinned cheekily at Koichi before slowly licking along the beautiful V where the omega’s legs joined his torso, making the omega gasp. Hands on his thighs, the alpha spread Koichi’s legs before he dipped down to blow softly at the head of the omega’s cock. The cool air made the omega hiss. Hazuki let his tongue reach out and take his first taste of the omega. He licked slowly down towards the base, making soft wet patterns on the skin, before he pressed his tongue to the base and let his tongue travel all the way to the head. Closing his lips around the head, he bobbed a few times, making the omega groan with pleasure and lift his hips to try to fuck into the alpha’s mouth. Immediately Hazuki let his cock go and growled, pinning Koichi’s hips to the bed in an order to stay still.

“Steady, babe. Not yet.”

Koichi whimpered with need but obeyed, letting the alpha take the lead as he took the omega’s cock back in his mouth, sucking hard and bobbing his head around the firm flesh. Just when Koichi thought he couldn’t take any more, Hazuki suddenly let go and smirked at him.

“No coming yet, babe… We’ve got lots of playing left before I’ll let you come,” he teased. He raised the omega’s legs some more, nibbling at the thighs. He let his fingers slowly run down the thigh to the omega’s ass, admiring the soft curves before brushing around the hole with his fingers, teasing but not quite touching.

The omega was trembling with need now, his whole body screaming for the alpha. The teasing kisses and touches had made him come undone quicker than he had thought possible, and he _needed_ it. _Now,_ please.

“Please,” he moaned, “please, just fuck me.”

Hazuki let out an almost primal growl at the plea, the omega’s words going straight to his aching and neglected cock. He leaned up over the omega again, kissing him hungrily, and then without warning thrust his index finger into him. Koichi shuddered and flung his arms loosely around the alpha’s shoulders, the slick clear lubrication of his hole coating the alpha’s fingers and leaking onto the blanket beneath him.

“More!” he groaned, trying to press down to take more of the finger. Hazuki complied, adding another finger and thrusting a few times before pulling out and positioning himself between Koichi’s knees. Slowly, he let his cock breach the omega, pushing it in to the hilt before pausing for a bruising kiss. The sweet feeling of finally being filled by the alpha made Koichi’s head spin, and for a moment he felt completely overwhelmed by the sensation. Hazuki’s knot was already beginning to swell inside the omega, stretching him more every second, and it was enough to make Koichi dizzy with expectations.

Nestling a hand in Koichi’s hair, Hazuki pulled his head back harshly to expose the long neck. An involuntary mewl of pure _want_ left Koichi as the alpha’s teeth clamped down on his neck, the bite not hard but enough to be amazingly possessive.

Finally, Hazuki started moving, thrusting harshly into the body beneath him in a hard rhythm that made Koichi sweat and pant, begging for more, harder, _faster_. It was beyond all that he had imagined it would be, nothing else existed but the sweet push and pull of the alpha’s cock inside him.

Hazuki pounded into him relentlessly as his knot continued to grow, making each thrust feel even better than the last. Koichi felt the familiar pressure building in his abdomen, and he nearly screamed when the alpha hit an extra sweet spot inside of him. With a loud moan he came hard, spilling his cum over his stomach and chest. Hazuki wasn’t far behind, and a few moments later he spilled his seed inside of Koichi with a deep growl, riding out his orgasm before collapsing over the omega. His knot had completely swelled by now, making sure that he was firmly fixed inside the omega for the next twenty minutes or so.

Both of them panted heavily while they waited for their heart beats to slow down. Hazuki threw his arms around the omega, rolling them around so that he was on his back, the lighter omega draped comfortably over him, the blanket pulled up over them. He inspected the red teeth marks on the omega’s neck for a second, grinning happily.

“I like seeing my mark on you,” he breathed, his grip around the omega tightening a little as if to confirm Koichi was his.

“Mmmm,” Koichi sighed happily as the alpha began caressing his hair. It felt so good to have the alpha’s arms around him, his cock still lodged inside and a steady heartbeat pounding beneath his ear. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so safe and protected, or so happy for that matter. He blinked sleepily at Hazuki, smiling.

“Aren’t you glad we’re staying the night now?”

Hazuki laughed softly and pressed a kiss to the tip of the omega’s nose.

“Very glad, my little imp. But you do know it’s not night yet, right? It’s just late afternoon.”

Koichi frowned at the light from the window, making a non-committing noise as he snuggled down on the alpha’s chest, closing his eyes. Hazuki watched as his lover drifted off to sleep, his fingers still soothingly petting the omega’s hair. He couldn’t help feeling like this wasn’t real, as his eyes caressed the lines of Koichi’s sleeping face. Just a week ago they hadn’t even met each other, and now he felt a stab in his heart just at the thought of being without the omega. How did this happen?

The bruise on Koichi’s face was fading, but Hazuki could still see a darker shadow on the omega’s cheek bone, and the brow was healing well but still had the stitches in. He felt a sudden surge of anger at the fat fuck that had hurt _his_ omega, and briefly wished he had done something more permanent to fix the problem. But he wasn’t a killer unless he really had to, and wouldn’t let himself become what he so despised in so many others that now populated this land.

Watching Koichi’s face, he felt more than ever that this world was completely fucked up. Pulling the omega closer in a possessive hug, he sighed deeply. Koichi shifted a little in his sleep, and Hazuki felt his cock start to slip out as his knot shrunk. Gently so he wouldn’t wake him, he pulled out of the omega and shifted so that they were side by side, his arms around Koichi, holding him close.

They woke up for a round two later in the evening, Koichi riding Hazuki frantically as the alpha held his hips in a bruising grip. Round three started around midnight, and they were utterly spent by the time they finished, falling soundly asleep within minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

The next time Hazuki stirred, dawn had arrived, and he lay under the blanket, shivering a little in the cold. His body was wrapped around the omega to keep him warm, and it didn’t take him long to notice when Koichi’s sleep became restless. A quiet whine left him as he started squirming in Hazuki’s arms, eyes pinched tightly and his mouth working silently as if he was trying to speak but no sound came out. He quickly became agitated, tears starting to run down his cheeks as the dream progressed. Just as Hazuki was about to wake him up, Koichi jerked upright.

“Meto!” he screamed, eyes wide open, terror evident on his face. His glazed eyes hardly noticed Hazuki sitting up, wrapping his arms around the omega.

“Sshhh, babe, it was just a dream. There’s no one here,” he tried, holding the omega close while soothingly rubbing his back.

Koichi looked at him for a second, uncomprehending, and then burst into tears. Holding his lover close, Hazuki rocked him a little back and forth while the omega cried for a while. When the tears seemed to subside, he pulled back an inch to look at his younger lover’s face.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked softly. Koichi shook his head violently at first, but then hesitated, contemplating what to say.

“It’s just a bad dream,” he said quietly.

“Memories or dreams?” Hazuki prodded gently, pressing Koichi to his chest, leaning his chin on the omega’s head.

Koichi was silent for a long moment. “Memories,” he admitted reluctantly, his voice barely a whisper. Hazuki sighed a little inwardly – he had been hoping for dreams that he could chase away. Memories were harder to get rid of, especially the kind of memories people got in a world like this. He stayed silent, just holding and caressing Koichi while he waited for the omega to tell him at his own pace.

“Sometimes… pretty often… I have nightmares about my friends,” Koichi started. “We were a bunch of omegas who stayed together, right after what happened. We got separated and… I don’t know what happened to them. Just bits and pieces, enough to be able to imagine the worst. I dream all kinds of scenarios, but it’s never good,” he slowly continued. Hazuki kept quiet, letting the omega take his time.

“I… I wake up screaming. I keep seeing Meto’s eyes that last night before he disappeared. We had just lost Mia, and... His eyes, they were so, so _empty_. And I keep seeing Mia get bitten by that alpha, I see it over and over again, and I can’t ever do anything to stop it…” Koichi was crying again, the thoughts of his friends overwhelming as he told their story.

“Sometimes I make up stories in my head, you know, where they are all fine. The alpha that bit Mia turned out to be the sweetest guy ever, and they both found Meto wandering and took him in and kept him safe. Tsuzuku managed to escape and has a new gang of omegas with him, and he is always bossing them around and telling them what to do – it’s what he does, you see, he’s so bossy. But he’s loyal and sweet, and… Maybe he is even looking for me. He could still be fine, you know, he could be…” Koichi’s voice trailed off. He felt a little embarrassed at admitting all this to Hazuki, but at the same time it felt good to let all those pent up thoughts and feelings out.

He knew of course his daydreams were stupid, just silly little stories that a child tells himself at night when the boogieman’s hiding in the cupboard. But they made him feel a little better for a while, and so he kept dreaming. The stories in his head had turned grander by the day, and soon Meto, Mia and the alpha had gone to live in a little house with a garden on the countryside, where they grew their own food. It was stupid, but it was better than weeping.

Hazuki sat quiet for a long while, still holding Koichi. The silence almost became too much to bear before he started to speak.

“ I lost someone. My mate. In those first two weeks, you remember what it was like. He was injured, bad burns. And I tried to take care of him, but it was too much, and he…” His voice trailed off, and a tear trickled slowly down his cheek as he turned his face away. Koichi slowly reached for Hazuki’s hand, gently squeezing it, and the two just sat there for a long while, trying to comfort each other with a quiet touch.

. . . . .

They had breakfast in silence, chewing a carrot each, savoring the flavor of an actual honest to god vegetable. Finally, they rose, checking their backpacks so they had packed everything, Koichi patting his jacket at least three times to make sure he had the precious pills.

Walking away from the house, Koichi felt strangely elevated despite the mood of the morning. Yesterday he had found real food. He had (finally) had amazing sex with Hazuki until he was completely drained. He had had a good nights sleep in his lover’s arms, on a nice soft bed no less. Ok, so the dreams and confessions of the morning hadn’t been the best way to wake up, but they had put some secrets and difficult feelings in the open so they could deal with them. He wasn’t really sure what they were to each other yet, but he knew Hazuki made him feel safe and wanted, both things he had been craving for a long time. Walking close to the alpha, he shyly let his hand slip into the other’s, glancing up through his long bangs and smiling happily when the alpha didn’t let go.

They walked further that day than they had the previous, resting for a while midday, and then again when the afternoon sun was starting to set.

They stopped for the night at the remains of a cottage. Half of the house had burnt down, but the other half had enough walls and roof left to be a shelter from wind and rain. It was too cold to do anything but bundle up close together wrapped in every piece of clothing and blanket they owned, and when morning came, they were sore and tender from shivering all through the night. It wasn’t anything unusual, but the contrast against the previous night somehow made it seem worse, and Hazuki swore they’d find a better place to sleep before evening came.

The day was grey, and they trudged on in a damp mist that seemed to get under their skin. It was spring, and the heat of summer was still a while off. The elated feeling Koichi had felt that first day began to wear off at the end of a week of the same, walking, resting, eating scarcely until they were sure where to find more food, and sleeping in empty buildings that just barely held together. They slept close together for warmth, but sex had been out of the question in the cold, even if either of them had had the energy after a day of walking on small rations.

Koichi was beginning to feel more than a little worn out, the constant walking putting a strain on the wound in his side and making his arm hurt. He was healing but slowly, and he was sick and tired of it. He needed a day of rest, but food was running low and they had to find more before they could stop. Hazuki did his best to support the omega, but he was also starting to get tired.

On the evening eight days after they left the house that Koichi now remembered as paradise, they still hadn’t reached any buildings or shelter for the night, and Hazuki frowned as he studied the map.

“We should be at a village soon, but I don’t recognize these landmarks,” he muttered. “We should have passed a lake a while back, but I didn’t see it. Could be it dried out during the disaster, but then the trees should have been burnt as well. I don’t get it.”

Koichi sneaked a peak at the map but couldn’t make more sense of it than Hazuki had. They were resting by the side of the road, sharing their last can of food. They still hade a few carrots but they were all out of anything else, and they really needed to find some food and shelter. Tomorrow, if all went well, they should reach a town, greatly increasing their chances of finding food. But for tonight they needed a place to stay, and probably sooner rather than later if the darkening skies were anything to go by.

Finally Hazuki made a decision and packed the map away, glancing at the sky with a worried frown.

“Let’s go. We’ll walk along this road for another hour or so, and if we haven’t found a place to stay then we’ll stop and build our own shelter as best we can. I’d prefer not to, I know how but it takes time and energy that I don’t want to waste, but we can’t let ourselves be caught by the rain either. I don’t want you to get pneumonia to top it all off.”

They started walking again, eyes nervously on the sky, for almost an hour. Hazuki were just about to tell Koichi they had to stop when a road sign advertised the name of a village up ahead. Sighing with relief, they moved forward carefully, looking for dangers but longing for a roof over their head. This time Hazuki let Koichi explore with him, though reluctantly, and he made sure the omega never went first into an unexplored area.

The village consisted of around ten houses, most badly burned. But two houses were still standing, both empty of inhabitants and reasonably dry and closed to the elements. They found three cans of food, enough to last them a day until they came to the next town, but an even bigger treasure in the cold were the tea candles they found in a cupboard. They gave off heat and a little light, and though light was advertising, they found they could cover the window in the bedroom in the smaller of the two houses enough to keep the light from sneaking out.

They happily settled in just as the sky opened up to let heavy droplets smatter on the roof and windows. They found a bucket to put outside to gather some rainwater to drink, and Hazuki set about lighting the candles on a small table next to the futon still rolled out on the floor. They found extra blankets and pillows and were soon happily snuggled in, warming up slowly as their bodies and the candles did their job in the small room.

Koichi took the now rather dirty sling off and carefully let his arm down, blood returning to his hand.

“How does it feel? Better?” Hazuki wondered.

“Mmmm. It still hurts a bit, but I hate that damn sling. I need to move my arm, I feel too constricted and helpless with that thing on.”

“I hear you. Just take it easy. Don’t want you to mess with the healing. Ok? Promise?”

“I will, I promise.” Koichi smiled a little, basking in the alpha’s attention to his needs.

Hazuki sat leaned against the wall under a pile of blankets, his legs spread around Koichi who leaned his back happily to the alpha’s chest. The omega’s head rested on Hazuki’s shoulder, and the alpha snaked his arms around the small frame, holding Koichi close while he nuzzled the omega’s hair and drew in his warm and sweet scent.

He snuck his fingers under the hem of the omega’s shirt and absentmindedly caressed the soft belly underneath. Koichi sighed happily and melted into the touch, turning his head so the alpha could kiss him if he so wished. Hazuki smiled a little at the cute gesture and obliged, kissing his forehead, nose and cheek before finally letting his lips press against Koichi’s.

The kiss was soft and unhurried at first, languid and sensual. But soon enough they started craving more, and Hazuki took control of the kiss, slipping his tongue into the omega’s mouth. While their tongues danced together, Hazuki let his hands glide up Koichi’s chest to find a nipple. Koichi gasped into his mouth as the alpha’s fingers found what they were looking for and pinched lightly before caressing the buds. Anticipation made the omega’s body shiver, his eagerness making Hazuki’s cock twitch.

When he finally drew back from the kiss they were both breathless and a little dizzy from lack of oxygen. Koichi tried to turn in his lap to face Hazuki, but the alpha held him facing forward and continued his exploration of the omega’s nipples as he bent down to kiss the long, lean neck. Koichi let out a keening whimper and tilted his head to give the alpha better access. He was rewarded with a series of kisses and nibbles along his neck and jawline, punctuated by a lick here and there.

Hazuki started to undress the omega, peeling off the clothes slowly and sensually while pausing to kiss and caress his lover’s body. Koichi was quickly coming undone under the gentle touches, whimpering softly. Once the layers of shirts were off, Hazuki let his fingers slip under the hem of Koichi’s trousers, teasing a little before unbuttoning them and letting his hand glide down to cup the omega’s half-hard cock. The gasp and bucking of hips made him smirk a little as he started to rub the omega through the fabric of his underwear. Soon enough the touch was driving them both crazy, and they shifted on the futon, Hazuki pushing Koichi down on his back and pulling his pants and underwear off in one smooth movement. His own clothes disappeared as quickly, before he pinned the omega down again, crushing his lips down on the others’ with a bruising force.

Koichi threw his legs around the alpha’s back, panting heavily, his eyes glazed. “Please,” he moaned, not even coherent enough to be sure what he was begging for but desperate to get it.

Hazuki looked down on the omega, licking his lips as his eyes wandered down to the belly piercing. That piercing made his cock twitch, and as unpractical as it was in this type of world, he hoped Koichi would never take it out. Bending down to lick the soft belly and gently tug on the piercing with his teeth, it was all he could do to not flip the omega over and bury his cock deep inside. He wanted this to last as long as possible, to make the omega feel amazing before he finally knotted him. And so he continued his ministrations, enjoying the breathy gasps and moans that left his lover with each kiss, lick or nibble.

“You’re mine,” he whispered huskily, “and I will mark you so everyone knows who you belong to.” Koichi whined with need at the words, loving the way Hazuki held him down and made him feel _owned_. The alpha stretched out over him and suckled on his neck, sucking hard enough to leave a dark bruise before moving down the shoulder, marking him with little bites.

Finally, when Koichi felt like he couldn’t take anymore, Hazuki thrust into him hard, making his vision sparkle. He moaned loudly and wrapped his legs around the alpha’s hips firmly as Hazuki pounded into him relentlessly. Each thrust was better than the previous as the knot grew, the stretch amazing. Koichi felt completely filled, the alpha’s cock rubbing every sensitive place within him until he could hardly breathe from the overwhelming sensations. He came with a harsh moan, white flashing behind his eyes as he rode out his orgasm on Hazuki’s cock. Hazuki wasn’t far behind, having fought not to let go until Koichi had come, and he grabbed the omega’s hips hard enough to bruise as he painted his lover’s insides white.

The room had warmed up by the candles and their body heat, and as Hazuki rolled over to drape the younger omega on top of him, they were both sweating.

“That,” Koichi panted, “was amazing.”

Hazuki laughed and pulled the omega closer, nuzzling him behind the ear. “It sure was.”

Koichi turned his head, sleepily gazing at Hazuki’s face. “ _You_ are amazing,” he concluded drowsily, before promptly falling asleep, completely drained. Hazuki stared at the omega for a second, a little shocked, before a warm feeling spread through his chest as what his younger lover had said sunk in. He smiled happily and planted a kiss on Koichi’s nose, before he lay back and relaxed, making sure to wrap them both in the warmth of the blankets.


	6. Chapter 6

When morning came, the chill had taken over the room, but there was still enough warmth under the blankets to keep them from feeling cold. Hazuki had stayed awake long enough to slip out of Koichi when his knot had shrunk enough. But apart from that, they hadn’t moved much the entire night, wrapped in each other’s arms, Koichi’s head resting comfortably on the alpha’s arm.

Hazuki woke first and slipped out a hand, pulling their clothes in under the blankets for a while to warm them up a little before they had to put them on. Then he leaned down over the omega, kissing him softly until Koichi woke up with a sleepy grunt.

“Hey there, beautiful, time to wake up.”

“Mmmph,” Koichi muttered but shifted and yawned, stretching his arms out of the blankets and then quickly pulling them back in with a shiver. He scrunched his nose up in a cute frown. “It’s cold. I wanna stay in bed all day.” Hazuki laughed, kissing the omega on the tip of his nose and letting his fingers run through the black and pink hair.

“Sorry babe, I think we need to keep moving. But I have to admit this was a nice change to the nights of the past week.”

“Mmm, I hope we find a nice warm place tonight as well, so you can fuck me,” Koichi mumbled cheekily, yawning again and snuggling up to the alpha.

Hazuki snorted. “You little imp, is that all you can think about?” he teased, reaching out to pinch a nipple lightly, making Koichi shiver.

“I like it when you fuck me,” Koichi pouted. “Isn’t that a good thing? I could hate it, you know, and you would end up not getting any...” His little rant was interrupted by a kiss, and he moaned as Hazuki plundered his lips. When he finally pulled back, they were both dazed for a moment before Hazuki spoke.

“It’s a very good thing. I don’t know what I’d do if I had you so close and wasn’t allowed to touch you.” The alpha lifted his hand and cupped his lover’s face, kissing him softly. For a moment, they just lay there looking at each other, Hazuki letting his fingers brush over Koichi’s cheek and hair.

“You need a dye job,” he suddenly said, teasingly, and laughed at Koichi’s huff.

“I need a haircut, that’s more likely to happen than me ever getting the chance to have pink hair again,” he sighed, looking at his pink tips with longing.

“You miss it?”

“Mmm. I’ve always had pink hair, and now that the black has been growing for two years I hardly even recognize myself anymore. Look, there’s hardly any pink left. And it’s hardly pink either, it’s so bleached by the sun. I know I should cut it, it’s more practical, but I just don’t want to lose it, you know?”

Hazuki smiled at the omega and nodded, understanding the sentiment. “You don’t want to let go completely of who you were,” he said, Koichi nodding silently. “You’re beautiful either way though,” he said reassuringly and rubbed the omega’s back for a second before he reached down for their clothing.

“Here, time to get dressed if we’re gonna find that palace to sleep in tonight.”

“Sure you don’t wanna fuck me first?”

“You imp, watch it or we’ll never get anywhere, just stay in bed all day.”

“Mmmm, I’d like that…”

Hazuki laughed and threw off their blanket, making Koichi yelp as the morning cold hit his skin.

They got dressed, shivering a little, and shared a can of food and a carrot before packing their bags. It was tempting to add another blanket to the backpack, but they both knew it wasn’t worth carrying the extra weight at the end of the day.

The pair was just about to leave when a noise broke through the silence. They both froze, glancing at each other while they tried to pinpoint the sound. It was coming from outside. Voices, at least two. They were still a little way off, and as Hazuki peaked out of the window from behind their makeshift cover, he could see two alphas coming down the road, not yet in front of the house but too close for them to slip away unnoticed.

He reached out for his baseball bat, double-checking for the knife in his belt, and then turning to Koichi. The omega had a small knife at his belt, but nothing bigger that could be used at a larger range. Opening the door to the kitchen quietly, he quickly looked around but found no loose items the omega could use as a weapon. He resolutely grabbed a chair, kicking it so that a leg fell off and handed the makeshift bat to Koichi.

“Just in case,” he said. “Stay behind me.”

Koichi nodded, nervous but ready. At the sound of the chair cracking, the voices outside had fallen silent. As Hazuki led the way out on the front stairs, they found the two alphas maybe ten meters off, gazing warily at the doorway. For a while, the four of them stood still, appraising the others. One of the alphas was rather short and bony, a lot shorter than Hazuki, but he seemed sure of himself and had an arrogant air around him. The other was taller, a bit stocky and with a dark unkempt beard adorning his face. He had the same arrogant smirk as the other, but neither of the two seemed outright hostile, just cautious.

Koichi gasped as he suddenly recognized the second alpha, flinging a hand over his mouth in shock. Hazuki threw him a questioning glance, but quickly pulled the omega further behind him as the other two fixed their eyes on the omega.

“We’re just leaving,” Hazuki said shortly, eyeing the other two, fingers gripping the bat firmly. “We have nothing to trade, but this is a good place to stay the night, if you need it. We left blankets on the futon inside.”

“We’re not stopping you,” the shorter alpha responded. “And thanks for the advice, but we’ll scope the place out for ourselves. Though I _am_ curious as to why your property is eyeing my friend.”

Hazuki didn’t bother trying to correct him about Koichi not being property, as he knew the alphas were not the type to understand the difference. Instead he focused on the question.

“Does it matter? He was just startled by strangers showing up.”

The bearded alpha grunted. “No he wasn’t. He’s not staring at the both of us,” he accused, a little tense and annoyed at the omega, who couldn’t stop staring at him as much as he tried. “Speak up, you little rat,” he demanded.

Koichi swallowed and licked his lips nervously before he spoke quietly.

“I was looking for Mia.”

The alpha looked confused for a moment.

“Mia?” he said. “Who’s Mia?”

Koichi felt his heart sink at the alpha’s words. This was the guy, he was sure of it. He had relived the moment enough times in his dreams to know the alpha’s face. Mia in a heat daze, the alpha grabbing him from behind, biting his neck hard enough for the blood to flow down that beautiful neck. He wanted answers, he _needed_ to know what had happened to Mia after they ran, but he didn’t know if asking would set the alpha off. They were in no shape to fight two alphas at once, and he didn’t want to cause Hazuki any more trouble than he already had. But the alpha wouldn’t let it go.

“ _I said,_ who’s Mia?” he demanded.

Koichi winced a bit and put his hand on Hazuki’s arm for comfort before he answered.

“A friend of mine. A blond omega. You… you bit him. About a year ago.”

The words came out shakily, and Koichi could feel Hazuki’s arm muscles tense up a little at the revelation. He made no indication to the alphas that he had reacted though, keeping his position as a shield between the omega and the two strangers.

The bearded alpha looked a little confused for a second, before realization dawned.

“Oh,” he said, “that one. Oh, he’s long gone. He got knocked up so I left him behind. He wouldn’t piss off because of that damn bond, so I had to take care of it.”

Koichi felt the words stab at his heart, his knees almost giving way. Mia was dead. All his dreams had been in vain, his beautiful friend was gone. He couldn’t hear what more was said after that. He felt dazed, and barely noticed when Hazuki grabbed his arm and started dragging him away. The two alphas stood still and looked after them as they went.

Hazuki dragged him along for at least fifteen minutes, before he veered off into the forest, taking cover behind a few bushes to see if the two alphas would follow. As the minutes ticked by, he slowly relaxed, relatively sure the two alphas had decided against coming after them. He turned to his dazed lover, who hadn’t said a word since they left.

“Koichi?” he prodded gently, caressing the omega’s cheek. When he got no reply, he grabbed the omega firmly by the upper arms, shaking him a little. “Koichi?” he repeated, trying to get a reaction out of the omega. Finally, Koichi stirred, looking at Hazuki with eyes that seemed to have trouble focusing.

“He killed him,” he said unsteadily. “He got pregnant and he killed him.” He felt numb, as if this wasn’t really happening.

“I know, I’m so sorry baby,” Hazuki whispered, pulling the omega into his arms with a tortured look in his eyes.

“He couldn’t help it, the bond is too strong to leave. It wasn’t as if he asked to be bonded, he was just in heat,” Koichi continued, his voice shaking slightly. “And he was pregnant. The baby died too.”

Hazuki knew there was nothing he could say that would help, so he kept quiet and just held his lover close, kissing his forehead. He could feel the omega crumbling to pieces in his arms, but the shock was still too new for tears to fall just yet. He wanted so badly to take away all of his lover’s pain, but he knew there was nothing he could do but try to be there for him and make sure the omega knew he wouldn’t do the same to him.

Koichi was trembling severely in his arms, and Hazuki realized he was in shock. He took off his leather jacket and put it around the omega’s slim body, trying to keep him warm. He knew they needed to get moving if they were going to reach the town today, but he couldn’t force Koichi to walk in his condition and with both of their backpacks, it was too much for him to carry. Going back to the village was out of the question as long as the others could still be there. So he gently led Koichi to a small rock and made him sit down. He pulled his blanket out of his backpack, wrapping it around the omega. Then he set about making camp, making sure they were far enough from the road not to be spotted.

While he cut down branches and put them together in a cover against wind and rain, Koichi sat on his rock just staring into space. He felt completely numb. All his dreams of Mia having a good life with his alpha were gone. So were the dreams where Mia saved Meto, which meant Meto was gone too. There was just no way the fragile boy would make it on his own. The hope that two of his friends were alright had been extinguished in just a few seconds. Koichi couldn’t even cry over them. He couldn’t understand why, but he just couldn’t. All there was, was a cold numbness and a bottomless despair.

. . . . .

When the shelter was done, Hazuki spread his blanket on the ground beneath it and went to fetch Koichi. He found the omega in the exact same position he had left him, staring into space, shivering despite the extra jacket and the blanket around his shoulders. Hazuki carefully put his arm around Koichi’s waist, guided him to stand and then through gentle prodding made him walk the short distance to the shelter. He then made the omega lay down with him on the blanket, holding Koichi close, carefully pulling the blanket over them and pulling his lover close to keep him warm.

They lay there for hours, Hazuki with his arms around Koichi and Koichi completely still, looking at nothing at all, lost to the world. Eventually though, the omega seemed to relax into the alpha’s arms a little, snaking an arm around Hazuki’s waist for comfort. Even later, near late afternoon, Koichi suddenly started sobbing quietly in Hazuki’s arms. The alpha was caught by surprise at first, but quickly found his footing and pulled the omega even closer, hugging him tightly and making comforting noises until the sobbing subsided. Hazuki’s heart ached at seeing his lover like this, and he suddenly realized just how much the omega had come to mean to him in such a short time. It was almost shocking when he thought about it, but then Koichi shifted in his arms and he quickly let go of his thoughts to concentrate on the omega.

“Hi sweetie,” he said softly so not to startle the younger man, “wanna sleep a little? You might feel better afterwards.”

Koichi shook his head and then buried it in Hazuki’s chest, trying to get as close to the alpha as possible. Hazuki just held him, slowly caressing his back and kissing his forehead, until the omega was ready to talk. It took almost another hour before Koichi suddenly said “Why?”

“Hm? Why what?” Hazuki said, almost dozing off after lying still all day.

“All of it. Why everything?”

Hazuki looked at Koichi, puzzled. “I don’t understand, babe. What do you mean everything?”

There was a pause while Koichi seemed to be in deep thought. Then he whispered, so quietly Hazuki almost didn’t hear him.

“Why did he have to bite him and then kill him when he no longer had a choice but to follow? How _could_ he? He didn’t have the right! Why didn’t I stop it? Why did Mia have to get pregnant? Why are us omegas so easy to use and discard? Why aren’t _you_ doing the same? Why are you being so nice to me? Why… Why can’t I ever see him again…?” The questions just seemed to pour out of him. Hazuki sighed deeply, and then answered the only thing he could.

“I won’t do the same to you, babe. And I’ll protect you from people like him, I promise. No alpha will ever hurt you again. It wasn’t right, what he did, omegas shouldn’t be treated like that. I would never do that. Not to anyone, and especially not to you.”

Koichi was quiet for a second. Then, with an almost inaudible whisper, “Why not? Why not me?”

Hazuki pressed his lips on the omega’s forehead for a second before he replied.

“Because I love you.”

If he had expected an answer, he would have been disappointed. Koichi didn’t say a word, just closed his eyes and curled up against the alpha. Hazuki wrapped himself completely around the omega, enclosing him in a cocoon of arms, legs and blankets. He almost couldn’t believe what he had said. It had just slipped out. It felt right, and he knew it was true once he said it. He was in love, deeply, and he wanted the omega more than he had thought possible. He couldn’t blame Koichi for being skeptical though, especially not after what had happened to his friend.

Soon Koichi’s breaths evened out into sleep, and he slowly relaxed in Hazuki’s arms. After a while Hazuki started to feel drowsy as well, his arms slowly losing their tight grip on the omega as his body gave in to sleep.

. . . . .

The first light of dawn was seeping through the trees as Hazuki came to the next morning. He was a little cold, and had turned on his other side some time during the night, causing his arm to rest on a hard root in a very uncomfortable way. Grumbling, he turned back around to check on Koichi, only to realize that the omega wasn’t there. Still fighting against sleep, he looked around.

“Koichi? Babe? Are you ok?”

The quiet that answered him was chilling. Fear gripped the alpha, his chest clenching as he realized what this could mean. He quickly got up and stumbled out of the shelter, frantically looking around for the omega. Nothing. Koichi had left.

Shit. Where could he have gone? And why? Hazuki forced himself to calm down, trying to think rationally. Had the omega taken his backpack? No, and he had left the blanket as well, probably to not risk waking the alpha. This brought another pang of fear. Did the omega fear him after what had happened to Mia? Was he so distraught that he had lost his mind, walking into the forest without thinking properly? Or did he feel trapped by the alpha, the confession last night something unwanted that he wanted to run away from? Hazuki shuddered, not knowing which option was worse. A deep breath to calm back down. Another breath. Ok, he could do this.

Where would the omega go? Hazuki needed to find him, to find the reason for this. If Koichi said he didn’t want him, he would have to accept that. If he was out of his mind, the alpha would take care of him. And if it was fear… Well, he needed to at least try to convince him he could be trusted.

The omega didn’t have much food, so the town was the only logical answer. He needed to restock or he wouldn’t make it. That was, if he hadn’t lost it and didn’t care what happened to him. But no, Koichi seemed too strong, despite what had happened and how much it had affected him. It had to be the town. Unless… No. He couldn’t have. He couldn’t have, right?

But he could, couldn’t he? He was certainly distraught enough.

Hazuki strapped his knife on, reached for his bat and started running towards the village as fast as he could, heart in his throat.

. . . . .

Koichi stood outside the cottage, his knife in his hand. Dawn was here, the first light making the world grey. The alphas would wake up soon. He had to do it now, or it would be too late. He needed the element of surprise, or he would never make it. He didn’t need to get them both, he just needed to put his knife in the alpha that had killed Mia. His beautiful Mia, always kind and thoughtful, looking out for his friends. Soft, kind, talented. He had been a guitarist before the world went up in flames, and once they had found an acoustic guitar and Mia had played for them that night, the best night Koichi could remember in this new world. And now he was gone. Beautiful Mia was gone, because of that asshole.

His face a mask of resolve, he gripped his knife hard enough for his knuckles to whiten, and made his way towards the front door.

. . . . .

Hazuki felt like his lungs were about to explode once he reached the village. He stopped for a second outside the entrance of the house, trying to catch his breath, listening for sounds other than his pounding heart. And there it was, a scream, followed by the rumbling of moving bodies.

In no time at all, Hazuki made his way through the kitchen and into chaos. The alphas had clearly been asleep when Koichi came in, and the omega had managed a deep cut in the bearded alpha’s neck, the pained scream waking the other alpha. The cut wasn’t enough to incapacitate the alpha though. Although he was weak, blood gushing down his neck and shoulder, he managed to throw the omega off of him so that Koichi landed in a pile on the floor. The other alpha was disoriented from sleep but was starting to realize what was happening, grabbing for his knife and lunging towards Koichi.

Before he made it that far, his temple suddenly connected with something hard and wooden. It wasn’t enough to stop the movement towards the omega, but what landed on top of Koichi was now a lot less coherent. The short alpha was still conscious, shaking his head and trying to find his bearings, groaning loudly.

The alpha that had been stabbed was struggling to get up, a hand to his neck trying to stop the blood from pouring out of him. He didn’t make it far before a baseball bat hit him across the back of his head, a sickening crunch making it clear that the alpha wouldn’t get up ever again.

“Get out, _now_ ,” Hazuki ordered Koichi. The omega seemed to be in shock, staring at the alpha Hazuki had just killed. He didn’t even notice the shorter alpha trying to get on all fours next to him, having a hard time getting his limbs to obey him. Hazuki grabbed Koichi’s arm and yanked him up from the floor, hard, shoving him out the door. “ _Move, now,_ ” he growled as the omega tumbled out of the room, head first. From the room he heard the bat hit something hard, and then keep hitting. Suddenly sick to his stomach, he stumbled out of the building and fell to his knees on the ground outside, spilling his guts on the grass.

It took several long moments before Hazuki came out, blood spatter on his face and clothes, his hand and the bat dripping with red. His jaw was clenched tight, his eyes burning with contained emotions. He stood on the grass in front of Koichi, breathing heavily for a while as the shaking of his adrenaline filled muscles slowly subsided. Then, without warning, the bat fell from his hand and he tumbled down on his knees, the tension in his muscles giving way to the fear and exhaustion of the last fifteen minutes.

For a moment they just sat there on the grass, next to each other. Then, Koichi moved, crawling towards the alpha. Gently, as if scared to anger the alpha, he put his hand on Hazuki’s.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I’m so sorry. I had to. I just had to, for Mia…”

Hazuki didn’t answer. Not with words. He just lifted his arms, pulling the omega close, hugging him hard for several long moments.

“I thought I had lost you,” he finally whispered, sobs starting to wreck his body as realization of what had happened struck him. “I thought they had killed you,” he cried, clutching the omega to his chest. Koichi clung to the alpha without answer, still reeling from everything that had happened.

For a long while they clung to each other, before they slowly untangled. Hazuki tried to dry his tears off, only to realize he smeared blood all over his cheek instead. His face contorted in disgust, he pulled himself together and rose, extending his hand to the omega.

“Come on. We need to wash off and get out of here before someone comes,” he said. As Koichi put his hand in his, he was pulled from the grass rather harshly, the alpha dragging him towards the shelter and their things.

All the way there, they were quiet. Koichi was more or less dragged along by Hazuki, looking more and more grim as the blood dried on his face. When they reached the shelter, he pulled out a bottle of water and without a word started cleaning himself up as well as he could.

Koichi flitted around, scared to do anything. The alpha’s mood had changed from upset to angry, and Koichi wasn’t sure how he should behave after what had happened at the house. So he nervously packed their bags, making sure they had everything, before he sat down, fidgeting with his sweater while he waited for the alpha to speak.

He had to wait a while. When Hazuki had cleaned himself up and dried the blood off his leather jacket, he sat down and started scrubbing the bat thoroughly. It wasn’t until the bat showed no sign of the morning’s events that he finally sighed and looked at the omega.

“What were you thinking?” he asked quietly. Koichi kept quiet, thinking of how to answer that in a way that didn’t sound like lunacy. He couldn’t think of one.

Hazuki sighed. “You know,” he said hesitantly, “before I realized where you went… at first I thought you might have left me because of what I said last night.” Koichi rose his head quickly, staring at the alpha as he continued. “I though maybe you were afraid I’d do the same and hurt you one day, or that you don’t feel about me the way I feel about you.”

“No!” Koichi exclaimed, shocked by what the alpha was telling him. “Of course not! You’ve been nothing but good to me! I never thought you’d hurt me. And as to what you said last night…” His voice trailed off, uncertainly.

Hazuki lifted his head, eyeing the omega nervously. “Yes?” he said.

“I… I kind of…” Koichi tried, before taking a deep breath, just going for it. “I kind of… I like you too. A lot.”

It wasn’t the L word he had hoped for, but it was enough for Hazuki. Koichi didn’t even have time to react before he found himself in a crushing hug. Relieved, he hugged the alpha back, before Hazuki turned his head and their lips met in a kiss that took both of their breaths away. Hazuki leaned his forehead on the omega’s, breathing deeply.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” he whispered.

“I won’t. I swear. I’m so sorry.” Koichi clung to his lover, as the images of what had happened washed over his mind. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Sighing deeply, Hazuki gave the omega one final tight squeeze before he pulled back.

“We need to go if we’re gonna reach that town today. We have almost no food left, and I spent too much of the water cleaning off. We need to find supplies.”

Koichi cringed a little, feeling guilty, but Hazuki just shook his head.

“What’s done is done, and I understand how you felt. But now we need to press on, ok? No looking back.”

Koichi nodded. They needed to move on, he understood that. But even though they left the scene behind, he knew Mia’s death wasn’t something he would easily forget. Another thing the omega wouldn’t be able to shed so easily was the guilt he felt for making Hazuki get his hands bloody to save him. But for now, he pressed it to the back of his mind. Food and water was their first priority now.

Finally, the two grabbed their bags and started walking again, hand in hand.


	7. Chapter 7

The town was small, but quite a bit off the main roads and so hadn’t been looted as much as the bigger cities. The worst of the fire and mayhem seemed to have skipped over this town – the sickness, however, had not. Most houses held long decayed corpses within. So far, they had encountered no sign of life, just a mass of dead bodies. It appeared to have been fast, sweeping over the town before most had the time to realize what was happening and leave. Most had died in their beds, Koichi guessing it had happened at night.

Usually he tried to keep it out of his mind. But sometimes, he couldn’t help himself. When he thought back to those first few days, the fear, the chaos, the hope that it would be better somewhere else, that they would be saved… It made him sick to his stomach. No one knew what had really happened, at least no one he had ever met. Communication was the first thing to break down, and without TV, newspapers or phones, there was no way to understand anything beyond what you could see for yourself.

And what he saw was death. Everywhere, death.

In some places there were fires, others were wiped out by sickness. Others still seemed to have just stopped, whole places abandoned without any trace of the population. Some people seemed overcome with rage, others with confusion, all with fear. Koichi’s home town had been struck by sickness first, and then overrun with looters and people taking what they could from those who were too weak by sickness to defend themselves. Most were killed during those first 72 hours. After that, there were so few left, and so killing each other off took longer. Hiding was easier. Koichi was good at hiding. He made it through, and left it behind.

Towns like these brought back memories, though. It made him quiet, and uneasy.

The pair covered a few blocks of houses before darkness was making the search too difficult. They settled for a house in the middle of a short street near the outskirts of town, as it was one of few they had found that was both in good condition and devoid of bodies. They searched the place thoroughly, and then locked themselves in for the night.

Settling down in the downstairs bedroom, they covered the windows for light coverage and then lit one of the tea lights they had found in a house down the block. They looked through their findings. A massive 11 cans of food, most found in the same house, a package of tea lights, a bottle of wine and a baseball bat of his own for Koichi.

Enjoying the luxuries of a working lock, a real bed and good loot, they decided to enjoy an entire can each plus the three remaining carrots for dinner. Koichi feasted on some kind of mushroom soup while Hazuki chose a can of ravioli, eyeing Koichi’s mushrooms suspiciously. After some consideration, they also decided they needed to relax a little, and opened the bottle of wine. The kitchen had real wine glasses and plates, and once the dust was dried off it felt almost like old times for a while, sipping wine, having dinner on an actual plate.

Reality soon came crawling in though, thoughts and memories of this morning and those first few mornings a year and a half ago, and they soon curled up, deep in thought. For the first time since they met and had a real bed, they fell asleep without having had sex first.

. . . . .

When morning came, Koichi woke up drowsily to an empty bed. He panicked for a second until he heard noises from the kitchen. Hazuki was humming while he messed around with something. Koichi stretched his arms, wiggled his toes and yawned. Soon, the door opened and Hazuki stepped in. He carried two cups gingerly in his hands. Curious, Koichi sat up and reached out to accept the cup Hazuki offered.

“Careful, it’s hot,” the alpha warned. Koichi’s froze, his eyes widening in shock. Hot? It couldn’t be. Nothing was ever hot anymore.

Except it was.

“How?!” Koichi asked astounded as he let his fingers close around the blessedly warm mug of tea. The warmth against his fingers was heavenly.

Hazuki laughed, delighted to have been able to surprise his lover like this.

“I found matches and a camping kitchen in the basement. It doesn’t have much gas left and is too heavy to carry long distances, but it was enough for this. And… One more thing.”

Koichi’s eyes widened even further as the alpha returned to the kitchen and came back with two bowls of warm noodle soup. Koichi squeaked at the sight, hardly believing his eyes.

Hazuki handed over a bowl and they sat in bed, drinking the soup right from the bowl, savoring the taste and feeling the warmth within. Once they were done, Hazuki took their bowls and mugs and placed them on the floor. Then he sat down next to Koichi, looking at the omega, eyes caressing his soft features,

“The bruise is almost completely gone now. You’re healing well,” he said and touched Koichi’s cheek gingerly. It was true, the brow was healing nicely and would leave only a small scar once the last of the scabs fell off. Koichi smiled, looking coyly at the alpha.

“You know what that means right?” he quipped.

“What?”

“That I won’t break if you hold me down and fuck me hard, right now.”

Hazuki snorted, and shook his head a little.

“You little minx, do you ever think of anything else? Your face might not break, but what about your arm? Or the wound in your side? I think rough sex will have to wait, babe.”

Koichi pouted. He was warm and happy, and Hazuki being this close and all touchy-feely was making him horny.

“Gentle sex then?” he prodded. “Please?”

Hazuki laughed again, leaning over to kiss the omega softly.

“Is that really what you want right now? Are you sure you wouldn’t rather start searching houses?” he teased, reaching out to caress a nipple through the fabric of his sweater.

“YES! I mean, NO. I mean, I want you to fuck me! Now, please?” Koichi sputtered, trying to answer two questions at once in his hurry to get his message across. He was arching towards the alpha’s hand on his nipple, wanting more of that touch, and preferably on bare skin.

Hazuki looked amused, but gave in to his lover’s adorable squirming and leaned over for a gentle kiss that quickly became rougher as the two lovers let their feelings take over. Soon enough they were both lying naked on the bed, Hazuki teasing Koichi’s nipples with his tongue while letting his fingers explore the omega’s ass. When they were both about to burst from need, the alpha finally thrust into the omega, setting a slow but firm rhythm that soon had them both panting and reaching for the blistering white together.

Afterwards, they snuggled for a while. Koichi wished they could stay like this forever, and couldn’t help but grumble a little when Hazuki gently tugged his knot out of the omega and drove them both out of bed a while later.

“Oh, come on, lazy pants. Time to get going,” the alpha teased, kissing away Koichi’s pout. “Let’s go explore. We might find more stuff.”

. . . . .

A day of exploring revealed that indeed, they had a lot more stuff than when they came to town yesterday. They found a super market, and though they were usually cleared of food first of all, there was other useful stuff they could find if they were lucky – tissues, clean clothes, string.

As they went through the shelves Hazuki suddenly stopped in front of a shelf, staring at a package. Looking for the omega, he noticed he was too far away to notice anything, so he quickly grabbed a few boxes and stuffed them into his bag, before he made his way elsewhere so as not to raise suspicion.

They left the store with a few useful items and actually, two cans of food that Koichi had found rolled under a shelf.

They had lucked out in finding quite a lot of food, and Koichi had even found some more heat suppressants that he added to his collection, making sure he was safe for another six months on top of what he already had.

At the end of the day, they had collected enough food that they actually didn’t have enough space to pack it all. This prompted them to return to the house that night where they enjoyed a big meal, including sharing a can of sweetened canned fruit for dessert. After, they were so full they almost couldn’t move. That didn’t stop them from waking up in the middle of the night, having sex that was probably a bit rougher than Koichi should have had with his injuries. The enjoyment far outweighed the slight pain though, and Koichi happily let the alpha play rough with him, enjoying every nibble and bite to his sensitized skin.

Next morning, however, they decided to move on. The town held a strange mixture of feelings for them both now, happiness and sadness, contentment and unease. They left the ghost town behind, their backpacks full and their steps a little lighter now, and followed the map along a road pointing Northwest.

. . . . .

“What do you miss the most?” Koichi suddenly asked, in the middle of their lunch break.

“From Before you mean?” Hazuki looked at the omega questioningly.

“Mmm.”

“Music.” The answer came promptly. “I miss music so damn much. Without electricity it’s like it all just… never existed. And I hate that.” Hazuki looked out into nothing, eyes sad and longing.

“Me too,” Koichi said quietly. “Mia… He was a guitarist. He found a guitar and played to us once, and it was the best thing that had happened to me in a long time. Just being able to hear music again. And Tsu sang a little.”

“I used to sing a lot,” Hazuki confessed. “I hardly ever do that anymore. Not out loud, anyway. Gotta keep quiet so no one hears you and all that.”

“I heard you hum in the kitchen. You have a nice voice,” Koichi said, reaching out to touch the alpha’s hand.

Hazuki smiled, a rather sad smile.

“Thanks. I wish I could sing to you properly some time without worrying that I’ll invite dangerous people through being loud.”

They sat silent for a moment, close, hands touching.

“So how about you?” Hazuki asked after a while. “Do you ever sing?”

Koichi couldn’t help giggling a bit at that.

“I suck at singing. But I played the bass a little. I had only just started to learn properly and had joined a band when… well. This.”

Hazuki gave him a comforting kiss on his forehead, his arm wrapped around the omega’s shoulders.

“Maybe one day we can hear music again,” he said, trying to sound like he believed what he was saying, Maybe the omega believed him, maybe not, but they dropped the subject and picked up their bags, setting off along the quiet forest road, Hazuki taking Koichi’s hand in his for comfort. Whose comfort, he wasn’t sure.

. . . . .

For a few weeks, not much changed. They walked during the days, a few times sleeping in real beds, mostly on floors or in a shelter of their own making. Twice they met travellers, both times omegas in small groups. They didn’t make contact, not really, just eyeing each other from a distance as they made detours around the other group so as not to seem threatening. Koichi could feel the omegas’ eyes on him, and he knew they could feel his scent, sensing he wasn’t bonded and wondering why he was still hanging around with an alpha. There were even fewer people up here than there had been down south, and they had started to relax a little, not looking for enemies in every corner.

They were making good way towards wherever Hazuki was leading them, and Koichi was starting to long for them to arrive, if it meant rest.

And then they met him.

Tsuzuku.

They rounded a corner and found themselves a few meters away from two others, moving their way and just as startled by the encounter as they were. It was so unexpected Koichi could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Tsuzuku, standing behind an alpha with a commanding presence. They stared at each other, jaws hanging open.

At first the alphas didn’t seem to notice, eyeing each other to assess possible dangers, their hands fingering weapons but not making any move to draw them. The other alpha had short black hair, fierce eyes, an angular set jaw and firm arm muscles. He was also quite a bit older than Tsuzuku.

Suddenly, the other alpha’s gaze shifted and settled on Koichi, frowning a little when he noticed his stare. He glanced back at Tsuzuku and noticed a similar look on his omega’s face. By now Hazuki had also caught on, and realized the steel grip Koichi had on his arm was not because of fear of meeting two strangers.

The two alphas shared a look, curious to see if the other had any idea what was going on. The other alpha raised one eyebrow and cocked his head questioningly at Koichi, eyes not leaving Hazuki’s. Hazuki just shook his head a little at the alpha, before taking Koichi’s hand and prying his fingers off of his arm.

“What’s going on, babe?” he asked warily, the question shaking Koichi out of his shocked state. He looked up at his lover, eyes wide, and stammered. “Tsu… It’s Tsuzuku.”

Hazuki’s eyes widened at the revelation, looking at the other omega, who shifted a little nervously behind his alpha.

“Tsuzuku, explain,” The other alpha said gruffly, he apparently didn’t like being the only one who didn’t know what was happening. Tsuzuku flinched a little at the angry undertone, and quickly answered.

“I know him from Before. We’re friends. His name is Koichi. We used to be in the same group, after…” His voice trailed off, but the alpha didn’t seem to need more of an explanation. He was looking the omega up and down, not hostile but not overly friendly either. Koichi didn’t really know what to do, he wanted nothing more than to run over and hug his friend, but the alpha was making him nervous and he clutched at Hazuki’s arm again.

“Can I…?” Tsuzuku asked quietly. Koichi had never seen him so subdued and submissive before – Tsuzuku was always the loud, bossy one. The alpha hesitated for a second and then nodded. His friend took a step out from behind the alpha and Koichi made to run over, relieved to be able to hug his friend.

“Koichi,” Hazuki warned, eyeing the others warily. He didn’t want his lover too close to the other alpha before he knew it was safe. Koichi stopped in his tracks, glancing at his lover, and then made his way towards his friend slowly, meeting him in the middle, just out of reach of both alphas.

Finally, the two flung their arms around each other. Koichi felt like he was still in shock, and he hugged his friend tightly, just to feel that he was actually there, that it wasn’t a mirage or a dream. Tsuzuku hugged him back just as tightly, the two omegas trembling with emotion. Koichi broke the silence first.

“I was so afraid you had died,” he whispered, not trusting his voice. “I can’t believe you’re here, Tsu!”

“Me neither. Oh, Kou, I’ve missed you so much,” Tsuzuku mumbled back. “I’m so sorry if I hurt you when I…”

“No, that’s ok, you couldn’t help it! I’m just so happy to see you alive!” Koichi exclaimed, disentangling from the hug so he could look at his friend, reaching out to caress his cheek, a big smile on his face. Tsuzuku smiled back and reached up to put his hand over Koichi’s, both of them completely wrapped up in each other’s presence.

Suddenly the omega was snatched back from his grasp, and they both let out shocked gasps as Tsuzuku was pulled backwards. His alpha was not happy with all the touching, that much was obvious. Hazuki also reacted to the suddenness of the motion, quickly stepping forward to pull Koichi behind him, using himself as a shield.

For a breathless moment, they all stared at each other. Then, the other alpha relaxed slowly, releasing his grip on the omega.

“Enough with the touchy-feely,” he said shortly.

“I’m sorry, Reo-san,” Tsuzuku said quietly and bowed his head down.

Koichi was stunned. He couldn’t believe his friend would act like this. Was he afraid of the alpha? Did he hurt him? He took a sniff at the air – the two were bonded alright, so there was no need for the alpha to be jealous. Tsuzuku couldn’t have left even if he wanted to, once an omega bonded it was for life. Koichi had always thought it was unfair that alphas could bond again while omegas had no choice but to trail after their alpha forever once the mate bite was over and done with. Just like what had happened to Mia. Oh god. Mia. Tsuzuku didn’t know.

His face gave him away as he turned white and swallowed hard, his knees starting to tremble a little. Hazuki seemed to understand what was on his mind, because he put his arm around the omega, holding him close in comfort.

“What?” the other alpha, no, Reo was his name, asked sternly. “Out with it.”

Hazuki frowned angrily at Reo, opening his mouth tell the guy to back off and leave his lover alone, but stopped when Koichi put a hand on his chest.

“Mia,” he said quietly. “He… He’s dead, Tsu. The guy who bit him told me. He killed him because he got pregnant.”

Tsuzuku’s face drained, and he stumbled, almost falling to his knees. In a flash Reo was there, pulling the omega into his arms, clutching the stunned Tsuzuku tightly while he stroked him soothingly over his back. Koichi’s heart ached to see his friend like this, Mia and Tsu had been really close. Everyone was close to Mia, he was just that kind of guy, you had to love him. Past tense. Oh, god. He leaned into Hazuki’s embrace and buried his face in his chest, breathing in the alpha’s reassuring scent.

Slowly, Tsuzuku seemed to calm down, and Reo pulled him to his feet, still holding an arm around him for support. Maybe the alpha wasn’t so bad after all? He seemed to genuinely care for Tsuzuku. Koichi just wanted to know if his friend was happy. He couldn’t do much to help him if he wasn’t – the bond wouldn’t let him – but he wanted so much for at least one of his friends to be ok. He needed to talk to the omega more, he couldn’t let Reo decide to drag him away before he knew.

“Hazuki?” he mumbled, pleadingly.

“What is it, babe?” Hazuki said softly, rubbing the omega’s back.

“Can we please ask them to stay and have lunch with us? Please?” Koichi pulled back from the alpha’s chest enough to look up at his lover, using his best puppy look with a hint of desperation. Hazuki felt himself being twirled around Koichi’s finger, completely unable to deny his lover his request.

“Ok, I’ll ask” he said, giving his lover a kiss on the forehead before looking over at the other pair. Tsuzuku was still wobbly, crying quietly, leaning on his alpha who held him in a tight grip.

“It looks like he could need a rest and something to eat,” he started, trying to judge Reo’s reactions to what he was saying. “And they should be allowed to catch up, they haven’t seen each other for a long time.”

Reo seemed to think about it for a long moment, before he finally nodded. Without a word he led Tsuzuku towards a nearby building and into a hallway where he sat him down against the wall. The others followed, and the alphas made sure their position was protected. Koichi sat down next to his friend, wrapping his arms around the omega, the two sitting close for a long while without speaking. Then, Koichi looked up to see where the alphas were – they were a little bit off, making sure no one was hiding in the back rooms of the building. It was safe, no prying ears nearby.

“I… We killed him,” he whispered in Tsuzuku’s ear. “The alpha that killed Mia. He’s dead.”

Tsuzuku lifted his head, staring at his friend in disbelief. “You… killed him?”

Koichi looked down, he wasn’t sure what his friend would think of him for what happened, but he needed to tell him.

“Yeah. I had to. I mean, what he did… I didn’t want Hazuki to be involved, it was just something I had to do, so I snuck off to kill him while he slept. Well, at least I tried, but I only hurt him. He would probably have died eventually because he was bleeding a lot, but… Anyway, he woke up when I stabbed him, and his friend too, and they would’ve killed me but then Hazuki came in and shoved me out the door and then he…” His voice trailed off. He hadn’t planned to tell on Hazuki, Koichi was the one to blame for this. “He only did it to save me,” he finished meekly.

Tsuzuku sat silent for a second. Then, “Good.”

“Good?” Koichi looked at his friend, hoping he understood him correctly and that the omega didn’t think less of him because of what he had done.

“The bastard deserved to die,” Tsuzuku said heatedly. Koichi nodded, relieved that his friend understood.

“Did he say how?” Tsuzuku asked, pain in his eyes.

“No. Sorry, Tsu. Just that he was pregnant so he took care of him. The bastard forced the bond on him and then discarded him the second he was done playing.”

Both omegas felt their stomachs churn at the thought.

“I just always kinda hoped, you know?” Tsuzuku said quietly. “I mean, if I made it, then he could have.” Koichi nodded silently, afraid to speak or he would choke up. They sat silent for a minute, just thinking of their lost friend.

Then Tsuzuku opened his mouth to speak, hesitantly, but shut it again. It was obvious he wanted to ask something, but wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

“What is it?” Koichi put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“I just…” Tsuzuku started, taking a deep breath before he finally voiced the one name they hadn’t mentioned yet. “Meto?”

Koichi swallowed and looked down for a second, shaking his head. “You?”

“Haven’t seen him either. But I guess we already knew,” Tsuzuku sighed.

Koichi nodded, his heart heavy. There was no way Meto could have survived without someone to protect him. The omega had been younger than the rest of them, and so much more fragile and sensitive.

Tsuzuku reached out and let his fingers trail over the scar where Koichi’s brow still hadn’t grown back. Then he moved his hand to gently lift Koichi’s broken arm.

“Did… Did he do that to you?” He indicated with his head towards Hazuki.

“What? No! Hazuki saved me from the guy who did. He helped me, took care of me when I was really messed up. I probably would have died without him.” Koichi looked at his lover, feeling warmth spread in his chest as he let his eyes follow the alpha’s movements. Tsuzuku’s short laugh made him turn his head back, frowning questioningly.

“You’re really into him, aren’t you?”

Koichi smiled and blushed a little. “Mmm,” he said, “it just sort of happened. But he really is a great guy, the type I didn’t think existed anymore, and he takes care of me.”

Tsuzuku smiled gently, squeezing his friend’s hand and lifting it to his lips. “I’m glad.” A frown from Reo made him let go quickly though, shooting an apologetic look at the alpha.

Koichi scrunched up his face in worry.

“What about you? Is he good to you? You seem… different. You used to be so lively. Is he hurting you?”

Tsuzuku smiled a little, a crooked but genuine smile.

“No, don’t worry. He’s just a little rough around the edges. I could’ve done a lot worse, his bark’s worse than his bite. He’s just the jealous and dominant type around people he doesn’t know, that’s all, but he takes good care of me and he’s never hurt me. Well, apart from…” He touched his neck, where Koichi could see two rows of scars cutting through the neck tattoo. Teeth marks from the mate bite.

Koichi reached out to touch it, hesitantly and with a look Reo’s way. Fortunately, the alpha was out of sight again.

“Did it hurt a lot? How does it feel after?” he asked curiously.

“It hurts like hell, but it feels good too in some weird way. At first you don’t feel different, but after a few days you start to feel this weird pull towards him. Like you always know where he is. It’s strange, but a bit comforting at the same time. You never feel alone.”

“Was it during that heat? The one when you left?” Koichi asked, still feeling guilty for not being able to stop his friend.

Tsuzuku nodded. “It didn’t take long. At least, I don’t think so. I don’t remember much. But when I came to my senses again, he was there. We had fucked of course, but he actually waited until I wasn’t completely out of it before he bit me. I suppose I could’ve said no, but I didn’t really want to. I was so tired of running, being scared of what could happen, and he made me feel safe and much calmer and more relaxed than I’d felt in ages. I was still horny from the heat, and, well, he _is_ really hot. And when he holds me down…” Tsuzuku smiled his crooked smile again.

Koichi laughed. “You’re just as bad as me, you know that? I keep pestering Hazuki for sex, he thinks I’m half bunny or something.”

“What, he doesn’t want to?” Tsuzuku looked shocked, the thought of an alpha _not_ wanting sex was completely unthinkable. Koichi shook his head.

“No no, he wants to, believe me. He’s _really_ good at it too. It feels better than it’s ever done with anyone, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he’s the first alpha I’ve truly trusted, so I relax more. And it’s like, I don’t know, I’ve gone into overdrive after being without for so long I guess. But he always indulges me, even though he teases me about it.” He smiled wickedly. “Sometimes I force him to fuck me in the morning. I won’t get up for the day until he does.”

Tsuzuku laughed, Koichi glad to see his friend feeling a little better.

“So I guess we’re both doing ok then?” he asked, eyeing Koichi questioningly.

“Yeah. We are.” They smiled at each other and hugged until they heard a cough behind their backs. They quickly separated and looked up at their alphas, Hazuki smiling at them and Reo frowning. The difference was striking, and Koichi felt his heart skip a beat when he met his lover’s eyes. _I’m so damn lucky._

Once they sat down to eat, the tension had left them, and even Reo seemed ok with the omegas leaning towards each other as they finished their meal. Once the initial tension of meeting new people had passed, Tsuzuku seemed relaxed around Reo, Koichi noted. His friend even threw the alpha a look now and then that suggested that there was something more growing slowly between them. The age difference was striking, but if Reo could make Tsuzuku happy, Koichi wouldn’t argue.

“We went to look for you,” Tsuzuku suddenly said. “But you were gone. I guess it was too many days after.”

Koichi squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you tried. And I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” They smiled at each other.

“I’m not,” Hazuki suddenly said, startling the others. Koichi stared at Hazuki, mouth wide open.

“Well, I’m sorry, but if you had been I probably would never have met you. So, sorry, but not sorry.”

Koichi narrowed his eyes at the alpha, trying to look stern but unable to help a giggle. When Hazuki leaned over to kiss him, he couldn’t stop himself from melting into his lover’s touch. When they parted, Tsuzuku looked at them with a huge grin on his face. Even Reo looked slightly amused.

“Maybe you two should go find a room?” the alpha suggested, teasingly. Koichi blushed, but Hazuki just laughed. “Maybe we should,” he said, winking at his lover, making Koichi blush even more furiously.

“No, but really, we should get going. I don’t want to break up your reunion, but we need to cover some ground before it’s dark,” Hazuki said. Koichi sighed and pouted a little, but Hazuki just smiled and leaned in to kiss away the pout.

Reo smirked at Hazuki. “You’re not even bonded, but you do whatever he wants you to, huh?” he said teasingly, but the remark was clearly meant as a joke and not to offend. Hazuki just smiled back at him.

“And proudly so,” he said, pinching Koichi’s cheek lightly, making the omega blush again.


	8. Chapter 8

The bags packed and ready to go, the four of them stood outside the house, getting ready to leave. Reo had declined the offer to tag along, they were heading west towards some place he knew and had hopes for. The omegas stood for a long time, hugging and speaking softly to each other, wishing each other well and hoping to meet again some day. And then, after a long goodbye, they finally parted, Koichi looking back over his shoulder until he could no longer see Tsuzuku.

They walked in silence for a while, Koichi processing what had happened. He felt so relieved and sad at the same time. These last few weeks had been an emotional rollercoaster for him, and he needed time to process everything.

“Kou?” Hazuki suddenly said next to him.

“Hm?” He looked at Hazuki, a little confused.

“Just trying out the nickname,” Hazuki said lightly. “Is it ok?”

Koichi thought about it. It was what his friends had called him, and hearing Hazuki use the name would remind him of his friends. Was that a good or a bad thing? He only thought about it for a second before he answered.

“Sure, go ahead.” Hazuki smiled at him, and leaned down for a quick kiss that turned into something more, as they stopped in the middle of the road, kissing hungrily for a moment. Then Hazuki pulled back, visibly restraining himself from ravishing the breathless omega then and there. “Tonight,” he said, his husky voice full of promise.

. . . . .

True to his word, Hazuki made Koichi arch his back and moan loudly that night, as he nipped and licked his way down the omega’s body. One of his hands trailed lightly down Koichi’s side before it came down to rest on the omega’s ass, grabbing it firmly. The other gently caressed the sensitive skin on his inner thighs, teasing but never quite touching the important parts.

The teasing touches were enough to make Koichi aching and needy, making him moan for more, but they were not quite enough. “Please,” he whispered, “more. Touch me.”

“I _am_ touching you,” Hazuki teased, but surrendered to the omega’s plea none the less and let his fingers dip down, pressing two fingers into Koichi’s hole and grinning when the omega gasped and bucked his hips. “You like that? You do, you love it when I put my fingers inside you. It makes that delicious scent of yours stronger. Go on, fuck yourself on my fingers,” he ordered. Koichi happily obliged, trying to get as much as he could of those wonderful fingers.

It was heaven, so much better than just the teasing, but it wasn’t enough for long. He wanted more, _needed_ more, needed his alpha’s big cock inside him. Desperately, he reached down to stroke Hazuki’s hard length, licking his lips and pushing his hips up pleadingly. He was rewarded with a deep groan from Hazuki, the alpha’s cock twitching in his hand. Without warning, Koichi found himself flipped over on all fours, his ass in the air and the alpha’s hands holding his hips in a steady grip.

“Such a beautiful ass,” Hazuki mumbled, bending down to kiss and bite a pale butt cheek before he positioned himself, letting his cock ease into the omega slowly. Koichi whined with need and pushed back at the alpha, trying to pull him in faster, moaning deeply. The sensations of the hard cock stretching and filling him, rubbing on all his sensitive spots at once, was almost enough to make Koichi come. But he wasn’t prepared to let it be over yet, so he hung on, mewling and moaning as the alpha set a hard and rough pace.

“So good,” he managed to whisper between his panting and moaning. “So, so good. Never stop, please, s’good…”

Hazuki almost growled at the words and thrust even harder, the grip on Koichi’s hips bruising. All of a sudden he pulled out and flipped the omega over on his back again, the sudden emptiness inside making Koichi whine. It turned into a gasp as Hazuki reached up to pin Koichi’s wrists over his head, leaning over him with an almost predatory look on his face.

“You look pretty like this, completely at my mercy,” he growled. “I can do whatever I want with you and you’re helpless to resist.” His voice made the omega shiver as the words went straight to his groin. Oh god, he loved it when Hazuki held him down like this, when he asserted his dominance. He squirmed beneath the alpha, his movements involuntary by now, bucking his hips in a silent plea for the alpha to please, please, fill him again.

Hazuki finally relented and thrust back into Koichi harshly, making the omega gasp and throw his legs around the alpha’s hips, pushing him even further inside. Their movements soon became erratic as they both were getting close to that magic release. Koichi couldn’t think anymore, all he could feel was the cock moving inside him and the alpha’s warm scent filling his nostrils.

It was all so, _so_ good, and he threw his head back, offering his neck to the alpha. It was instinct more than anything that ruled his movements, and it was instinct that made Hazuki bite down. The alpha had enough wits about him not to bite hard enough to break skin though, but at that point Koichi was past caring what happened.

A final hard thrust made them both tumble over the edge, coming hard. Stars danced in front of their eyes as they fell into a boneless heap, both panting heavily. Hazuki released his grip on Koichi’s neck, and pulled the omega into a mind-blowing kiss. For a long while, they just lay there in each other’s arms, while Hazuki’s knot shrank enough for him to ease out of his lover and reach for a towel to dry them off.

They had been lucky enough to find a decent house for the night, complete with a futon to fuck on and decent towels to dry off with. Koichi snuggled up to Hazuki, leaning his head on his chest and sighing, content. The alpha held his arms around him, one hand lazily playing with his lover’s hair as he seemed deep in thought.

Finally, he spoke.

“It could have happened just now, you know.”

Koichi frowned in confusion, lifting his head to look at the alpha. Hazuki was watching him, a serious expression on his face.

“I could’ve bitten you when you offered your neck like that. Luckily I still had enough brain function left, but you… You drive me crazy. Your scent, the way you feel around me when I’m inside you. I might not be able to stop myself next time,” he admitted.

Koichi felt a shiver run down his spine at the alphas confession. He had been completely out of it, and even now he only faintly remembered throwing his head back, exposing his neck. The thought that they had been that close to actually becoming mates was both scary and exhilarating. His eyes met Hazuki’s. What was that he saw in them? Hope? Fear that he’d run away from the risk of bonding?

“I’m not sure…” he started slowly and thoughtfully, “if I’m ready to bond quite yet. But I’m not sure I would’ve minded if we had either. I mean, it’s coming sooner or later, right?”

Hazuki let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and pulled the omega closer, kissing the soft lips. Relief flooded him at the omega’s words.

“So you do want to bond with me? I mean, not right away, but some day?”

Koichi laughed and snuggled up the alpha.

“Of course I do, stupid. What did you think?”

“Hey, watch who you’re calling stupid,” Hazuki frowned, pretending annoyance for all of three seconds before he smiled broadly and kissed Koichi’s forehead. “I don’t know, I thought maybe what happened to your friends would make you scared.”

Koichi let the words sink in, trying to find the right way to express how he felt.

“I guess,” he admitted, “that after I found out about Mia, I was scared. I don’t want to be abandoned or discarded, and it scares me to not be able to stay away if that happens once I’m bonded. He couldn’t stay away so he was killed, and the thought of that happening to me is so, so scary. But I know you’re not like that guy, and what you said after… About how you felt for me… I was scared but I had all these feelings I couldn’t help feeling, and I didn’t know what to do about it all.”

He paused, glancing up at the alpha, assessing his reaction to the words. Hazuki looked serious, his jaw set, but he didn’t look angry, thankfully. Koichi continued slowly.

“And then we met Tsu. And he… He was so different from before. He used to be so bossy and loud, and now he was just really submissive, and I thought, maybe… Maybe bonding to an alpha made you be like that, made you stop being yourself. And I got scared again. But then we talked, and he told me how Reo made him feel calm and safe, and I realized that he liked the dominance. He told me what it felt like to be bonded. He seemed like he was content and cared for, and I think he and Reo likes each other more than they let on.”

He paused for a moment, going over what he wanted to say in his head. He didn’t want there to be any misunderstandings about this between them. Then he took a deep breath and dove in.

“And then, I thought about you. And who you are, and how you’ve treated me. And I thought about what it would feel like to be bonded to you. And what it would feel like if I left and we weren’t together anymore.”

At those words, he felt Hazuki tighten his grasp a little, as he tried hard to not let the fear show in his face. Koichi hurried to reassure the alpha.

“And I realized I don’t want to be without you. There’s no way I could leave. And if we keep on doing what we did tonight, and I sure hope we will because it’s amazing, then it’s bound to happen some day. Even if bonding is a little scary, I want to, because I want to be yours. I’ve never… I’ve never really trusted an alpha before, not even Before. But I trust you. And I want you to keep me.”

He paused for a second, looking up at the alpha.

“Will you keep me?” he whispered, uncertainty suddenly coming over him. Maybe he had misunderstood the alpha? Maybe…

But he didn’t have time for doubt, as Hazuki grabbed him and hugged him so tightly it almost hurt. When he finally loosened his grip, he kissed the omega stupid before he smiled that million mega watt smile.

“Of course I will, Kou, baby. And you will keep me. When the time is right.” Koichi nodded and buried his face in Hazuki’s chest, breathing in the warm, safe scent. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, exhausted but happy.

. . . . .

They continued their journey the next morning, and for the next few days not much happened. The further they had gotten to the Northeast, the fewer people they had seen. Hazuki had insisted they would gather as much food as they could on the way, even if their bags would be heavy, as they were leaving the more populated areas. They had enough food to last them about nine days when they came across a small town, mostly burned down.

Hazuki drew out his map.

“We’re almost there,” he concluded finally and smiled at Koichi.

“And where is there, exactly?” Koichi asked, feeling more than a little silly for just tagging along and not really asking until now. Hazuki leaned over and kissed him, briefly nuzzling his hair, before he answered.

“It’s an island, right here, see it? A friend of mine, Toshiya, his family owned the island and had a big vacation house there. Extra cabins for friends and stuff. Some land to farm. You can only get there by boat, it’s in the middle of a really big lake, and it’s remote enough that most people don’t come there anyway. When all this started, most of my friends gathered their stuff and left together, figuring it was a good place to lay low until things sorted themselves out. I’m hoping they’re still there.”

Koichi considered this, a little hesitant about meeting new people who might not accept him as readily as Hazuki had.

“And what if they’re not?” he asked.

“If they’re not, it’s still a good place for us to stay. We can grow our own food, and have a little cabin of our own to stay in. Not having to move around. Would you like that?”

Koichi nodded. The idea had merit, but… “I don’t know anything about farming,” he said. Hazuki laughed and kissed him again.

“Don’t worry, babe, I do. My grandma had a farm when I was a kid, and she taught me lots. And with spring here and summer coming soon, the time is right to plant seeds. I’ve grabbed bags of seeds wherever I’ve found them, and I have a pretty nice little stash in my bag now. Food will be tight while the first things grow, but I’ll make sure we’ll be ok on what we can find in the forest. And hopefully my friends are there and have food for us. Ok?” He put his arm around the omega, reassuringly.

Koichi nodded again, relieved. Starvation was not something he was looking forward to. But there was something still worrying him, and he fiddled a bit with his sweater while he drummed up the courage to ask.

“What if they’re there and they won’t let me come with you?”

Hazuki looked startled at the omega, but then he lifted his chin and looked him in the eyes.

“Oh babe, why wouldn’t they? They’ll love you, just like I do. And if by some freakish event they’ve all gone mad and want you to go, then I’ll go too. I won’t leave you behind, Kou, I promise” he said softly, his eyes serious.

Koichi swallowed hard, pressing his fears down. “Ok, let’s go then,” he said, grabbing the alpha’s hand.

“Not yet,” Hazuki grinned, eyes glittering. Koichi looked up at his lover, confused.

“Why not? What are we doing?”

“We’re finding water. Lots of water.”

“Why? We have enough to drink and we can’t carry any more.” The omega was still confused, but Hazuki just dragged him away by the hand without an answer.

After looking through half the town, adding a can of food to their stash, they finally found a barrel filled with rain water in a garden. Koichi looked on in astonishment as Hazuki went to find two towels in the house, and two large buckets, which he promptly filled with water. He then turned around, beaming at a stunned Koichi.

“What? Why?” He didn’t get any further before the alpha had opened his bag and pulled out two boxes. He handed them to Koichi without a word, and the omega looked down, gasping when he realized what he was holding in his hands. He looked up at the alpha, eyes wide in disbelief.

“You didn’t! Where? Did you..? For me?”

“If you want it,” Hazuki said. “Only if you want it.”

Koichi suddenly dropped the boxes, throwing himself around the alpha’s neck, hugging him tightly and pressing kisses all over his cheek. Hazuki laughed and hugged him back.

“I take it the gift is appreciated then?” he asked teasingly.

“You have no idea,” the omega replied, letting go of the alpha to pick up the boxes again, staring at them. One with bleach, one with a beautiful pink hair dye. He would actually be able to recognize himself in the mirror again! He knew it wouldn’t bring his old life back, but he felt like part of his old self was knocking on his shoulder, and it felt damn good.

With the help of Hazuki, he cut off the worst of the damaged hair, not caring now that he lost a lot of the old pink. He would have new pink. The thought made him giddy. Once they were done the hair reached about a decimeter below his shoulder, shorter than it had been in a long time. Hazuki then put a towel over Koichi’s shoulders and they got to work.

. . . . .

Looking in the mirror, Koichi felt completely stunned. He was back. The pink was back, and it was beautiful. Hazuki came up behind him, and their eyes met in the mirror. He didn’t say thank you. He didn’t have to. His eyes said everything he wanted to say. Hazuki just smiled and put his arms around the omega’s waist, holding him close.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the nape of his lover’s neck. Koichi leaned back into the embrace, looking into the mirror. Was this even real? He felt like life was starting to become good again, the struggles to find food and shelter aside. But Hazuki made him reclaim himself bit by bit, and it felt so damn good. He hoped this would go on forever.


	9. Chapter 9

They started the last leg of their trek the next morning, skipping breakfast and going for lunch instead. They had about a week to go, they had guessed by the map, and so they trudged on trying to make the food last as long as possible. There were hardly any houses here, and in the whole week they only passed two, both empty and abandoned. The second house was just a few hours walk from the lake, and Koichi was starting to get nervous again as they sat in the kitchen, having their last breakfast before they would find out if the long journey had paid off. His nerves got worse to the point where he had to say something, anything, to keep his mind from racing.

“Hazuki?”

“Mmm?”

“Why didn’t you go with them? Your friends I mean. When they left.” He could’ve bitten his tongue when he saw the sad look on Hazuki’s face. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me, I…” The alpha raised a hand to stop him.

“Don’t worry, it’s not a secret. You should know these things about me, just as I want to know everything about you.” He sighed deeply. “Remember when I said I had lost my mate in those first few days? Well, my friends had to leave, things were crazy and it was too dangerous to stay longer than necessary. But Yusuke couldn’t travel, he was too badly hurt, so I stayed with him until…” His voice faltered for a moment, and he hung his head and looked away to hide the tears that trickled down his cheek before he could dry them off.

“Anyway, after, I was too angry at the world for taking him from me, too distraught. I needed time to mourn him on my own. And then, after almost two years, I decided it was time to go. I’d had enough of being alone and I missed my friends. So I got a map and started walking. And then I met you.”

The alpha raised his head and their eyes met. Reaching out gently, Hazuki cupped the omega’s face in his hands and leaned over to kiss him. Soft lips brushed against soft lips before he drew back, letting his thumb caress the omega’s cheek softly. “And I’m so glad I did,” he whispered.

Koichi was just about to say something when a sharp noise broke the silence and made them jump. A shot. They quickly reached for their weapons, standing up to press against the wall on either side of the window towards the road. Peering out behind the curtains, they waited.

For a while, nothing happened, and Koichi thought he would go crazy from the tension. Then, they heard voices coming down the road. The pair exchanged a look and gripped their bats harder, the tension making the omega tremble. And then they came into view. Two alphas, both rather tall, with broad grins on their faces. The more muscular of the two carried a dead deer over his shoulders, while the other had some rabbits dangling from his left hand, his right carrying a shotgun.

Suddenly Hazuki let out a loud laugh, startling Koichi as well as the two alphas. The thinner alpha let the rabbits drop to the ground as he lifted the rifle in one smooth movement, pointing it at the house. Koichi stared from Hazuki to the gun and back in horror. Had the alpha lost his mind?

“Hey, Die, are you gonna shoot an old friend like that? That’s not very welcoming,” Hazuki suddenly burst out, walking over to the doorway and showing himself slowly, making sure the other saw he was no threat. He wasn’t about to get himself shot by accident now that they were this close. He walked out onto the stairs, hands in the air.

The alpha with the gun squinted at him before he lowered it. “Hazuki?!” he exclaimed, a big smile lighting up his face. At about the same time, the other alpha also realized who he was seeing and dropped the deer to the ground, and the three alphas met in a giant hug, laughing.

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you guys!” Hazuki said, looking happier than Koichi had ever seen him. The omega still hung back, hiding behind the window curtain. He felt unsure of what to do now that they had found his lover’s friends. He knew Hazuki had said they were nice guys, and they looked friendly enough, but still, that could change in a second. After all, they were alphas, and he was the only omega here.

Outside the window, the alphas were finally letting go of each other, still laughing.

“You actually made it!” the more muscular alpha said. “I can’t believe it! This is so amazing, everyone will be so happy to see you!”

“I can’t believe I’m here either, Toshiya,” Hazuki laughed. “But here I am. And I brought someone with me.” He turned around to look for Koichi, a bit surprised not to see him there.

“Kou?” he called. “Come on out and meet my friends!”

Koichi took a deep breath. He knew he had to, but his legs felt like jelly as he walked towards the door. He hesitated just as he reached the door. He could still run, couldn’t he? He could go back south on his own, and… But then he heard Hazuki’s voice again, calling for him, and shakily, he took that final step into the doorway.

He blinked at the alphas, looking quite a bit like a deer caught in headlights, as he swallowed hard. Hazuki smiled and reached out his hand.

“Come here, babe. No need to be afraid. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

On unsteady legs, Koichi made his way over to the alpha and stopped to stand a little bit behind him, using him as a shield against the other alphas. He looked warily at them, gripping Hazuki’s arm. The alphas smiled at him, careful to not make any fast movements to startle the omega. They both had nice, friendly smiles, Koichi noticed, and he relaxed just a little. Hazuki laughed and drew him into his arms, kissing his forehead.

“You’re adorable when you look like that, babe, but there’s really no need for the wide eyes. Just relax. We’re finally here.” He rubbed the omega’s back reassuringly, and then turned to his friends. “Guys, this is Koichi. Kou, this is Die and Toshiya.”

“Hi,” Koichi said quietly, not wanting to come off as rude to the people who would decide his future.

“Hi,” Die said. “So you managed to catch Hazuki, huh? Good for him! He’s always been horrible at picking up guys, so he needs to be led carefully into the fold.”

“Hey!” Hazuki exclaimed, and they all started laughing. Koichi smiled a little as the tension slowly drained from him. These guys seemed alright. Maybe he would be alright with them? With Hazuki to protect him. He looked up at the alpha, seeing his wide smile and those beautiful eyes sparkling, and he felt a pang in his chest. He _wanted_ this guy, forever and ever. Hazuki looked down at him, his smile widening even further as their eyes met. And it felt like a flash of electricity burst through Koichi, making him weak at the knees again. Hazuki lifted his hand and let his fingers trail through the pink locks, kissing the omega on the tip of his nose, before rejoining the conversation with his friends. Koichi leaned into the embrace, feeling the strong thump of Hazuki’s heart beneath his ear, finally relaxing completely.

. . . . .

The walk to the lake had been fast, the alphas chatting away about everything that had happened in the long time they hadn’t seen each other. Koichi trailed along, his hand firmly in Hazuki’s, just listening to them. Apprehension was starting to grow again as they approached the shore, when he noticed a boat waiting for them, guarded by two more alphas. Koichi was starting to feel very alone and insecure, five alphas against one lonely omega. Were there no other omegas on the island? And if there were, how were they treated?

Hazuki seemed to sense his discomfort as they started to near the boat. He put his arm protectively around the omega’s waist, giving him a light squeeze. Koichi leaned into the embrace, grateful for the support as they walked up to the two new alphas. Apparently Hazuki knew one of them, but was new to the other.

“Asanao!” he exclaimed, throwing his free hand out for a firm handshake with a rather imposing looking alpha. He had an air of danger around him, even though he was relaxed. The two alphas smiled at each other, exchanging good to see yous and where have you beens. Hazuki then turned to the other alpha, reaching out his hand in greeting.

“Hi, I’m Hazuki,” he said, shaking the other alpha’s hand.

“Kyo,” the short and stocky but muscular alpha introduced himself, nodding politely. He looked fierce and a bit guarded, Koichi thought. Both alphas made him feel a little on edge, and he pressed closer to his lover’s side. Hazuki answered by tightening his grip, a little possessively. Koichi wondered if it was the unknown alpha that did it, or if he just wanted to make Koichi feel more secure. Either way, he felt safer pressed tightly to the alpha’s side, feeling him take control.

“This is my lover, Koichi,” Hazuki introduced him shortly to the two alphas. Asanao smiled at him and waved a little, while Kyo just gave him a quick nod.

“We’re still waiting for Reita,” Asanao said, looking towards the road. “He should’ve been here before you guys.”

“I’m here now. And you stand guard worse than a bunch of demented sheep.” A grumpy looking alpha appeared behind the boat, making Koichi jump. The alpha looked menacing, not overly tall but not too short, and with hard muscles playing beneath his tight sweater. He was carrying a hook where seven big fish hung dangling from their open mouths. He looked over the two newcomers, apparently not impressed by Hazuki. His eyes lingered a little longer on Koichi, his gaze unreadable but unnerving.

Toshiya introduced them, and Reita let out a noise that could probably count as a greeting, if you were generous.

Toshiya smirked a little next to Hazuki, and Koichi felt a little lump forming in his stomach. Who were these guys, _really?_ Were they stringing them along? Would they lure them to the island and then take him away from Hazuki? None of the alphas smelled like they were bonded, and Koichi was seriously starting to doubt if there were any other omegas around. He suddenly felt chilly, and tugged a little at Hazuki’s jacket as the alphas started prepping the boat.

Hazuki looked down at him, lowering his head so Koichi could whisper in his ear.

“I’m scared. Can we please leave? I don’t want to go to the island.”

Hazuki frowned a little, looking down at his lover.

“We’re gonna be fine, babe. I promise, they won’t hurt you. And I’ll protect you, you know I will.”

Koichi bit his bottom lip, chewing it a little.

“Yeah, I know, but... You don’t know all of them, and there are no omegas, and…”

“Kou,” Hazuki said warningly. “Stop worrying. We’re going. I won’t leave my friends for no reason after all this time. Tell you what, if anything seems wrong and you still feel scared tomorrow, we’ll leave, ok?”

Koichi bit his lip and lowered his head, reluctantly letting Hazuki lead him to the boat. He still had that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he climbed into the boat and settled next to Hazuki. When the boat left the shore, the four new alphas rowing them quickly towards the island, he nearly panicked and gripped his lover’s arm hard enough to bruise. Hazuki freed his arm and drew the omega close, pressing his lips to Koichi’s hair in a comforting kiss that did very little to soothe the omega’s nerves.


	10. Chapter 10

From the water you couldn’t see the buildings clearly, but once they had walked maybe ten minutes from the shore, a whole little village of cottages emerged. A large house stood at the other side of the village, towering over them. Most of the cottages seemed new, and outside them they saw a few people. All alphas. Koichi’s heart sank. He was starting to panic again, his legs turning to jelly, when suddenly an omega appeared in front of them and unexpectedly threw his arms around Kyo’s neck and gave him a big kiss. Reita made a face of disgust at the two and kept walking, while the rest paused.

“He hasn’t even been gone one whole day yet, Ruki,” Die said, amused. The omega answered by making a face at him, before he turned back to Kyo for another smoldering kiss. Kyo threw his arms around the omega and kissed him back just as passionately. Koichi stared in wonder. Who was this omega? And what was his role? The two were obviously not bonded, but the kiss sure didn’t look forced upon the omega. Koichi felt a flicker of a hope.

The omega reluctantly let go of Kyo’s lips and turned his curiosity to the two newcomers. Koichi felt his scrutinizing gaze and chewed his lip again, not used to so much attention, or so many people at once for that matter. Ruki was beautiful, tousled hair framing a gorgeous face. He had plush lips that he pouted right now, cocking his head to the side as he looked Koichi up and down. Then, suddenly:

“I am so jealous of that hair. How did you even manage that out here? I might have to steal it, you know.”

Koichi blinked, startled, but smiled shyly. “Hazuki fixed it for me. He found a few boxes of dye and surprised me with it because he knew I missed it.” He looked at Hazuki, smiling softly, and the alpha gave him a quick kiss. “Anything for you, babe,” he smiled, and Koichi melted a little at the cute words.

“Kyo!” A wail interrupted them, and they both looked back at Ruki, startled. “Why haven’t you brought me hair dye?!” Ruki looked at Kyo, who just shrugged and smirked at the omega, before grabbing him and leading the complaining omega away towards one of the cottages. Ruki’s demanding voice could be heard until the door shut behind them. The other alphas laughed at the pair’s shocked expression.

“That’s Ruki for you. He and Kyo sure are a weird couple, but as long as they’re happy, right?” Die laughed. Hazuki got his shocked face under control before Koichi did, smirking. “I suppose I started something there by getting that hair dye, huh?” Toshiya snorted. “If it hadn’t been the hair dye, it would have been something else. Ruki wants what Ruki wants, and he makes Kyo get it for him.”

Koichi was finally beginning to realize he had actually just seen another omega, and apparently a cocky one at that. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again. He still wasn’t sure about the alphas, and one omega acting like Ruki didn’t mean they all could without being punished. However, Asanao saw him. The alpha had been silent the entire time since they got on the boat, but he suddenly smiled at the omega, encouragingly.

“What did you want to ask?”

The others all turned to look at him, and again, he felt like a deer in headlights. He gripped Hazuki’s hand and looked down before he answered quietly.

“I was just wondering if there are any more omegas here,” he mumbled and looked up at Asanao through his bangs. The alpha nodded, pointing towards the big house.

“They’re probably in there right now, at least most of them. Yuuki had a baby this morning, and they all wanted to visit him and see the little one. Well, not all. I can’t see Ruki with a baby.”

“God forbid!” Toshiya looked horrified. The rest laughed.

Koichi felt a huge weight fall off his shoulders. Not only were there other omegas here, they had kids here too. Not that Koichi wanted a kid, but the place couldn’t be so bad if they allowed kids, right? His relief was very clear to his lover, who leaned down to whisper in Koichi’s ear. “Told you.” The words were accompanied by an affectionate smile though, and Koichi just pouted a little, too relieved to be annoyed.

“So,” Hazuki said lightly, “how about you guys? Do you have someone special?”

There was no mistaking Toshiya’s big smile. “His name’s Shinya. He came here a couple of months back, but we’ve really hit it off. He’s adorably shy with most people, but not with me. You’ll like him.”

“You mean he’s dead quiet around everyone but says at least yes or no to you?” Die teased. Toshiya frowned at him, but Die ignored him as he continued. “I guess I make up for it with my bubbly chatterbox. Subaru can’t keep his mouth shut or be still for more than three seconds. A chatterbox whom, by the way, I am going to bring these rabbits now so he can make yucky noises and force me to skin them for him.”

Die smiled, bid them farewell and walked towards the big house. Asanao flung the deer over his shoulder and followed him.

“All the meals are cooked in the big house,” Toshiya said and pointed to a large clock over the door to the big house. “You’re welcome there at seven o’clock for dinner.” Koichi felt his mouth water at the words. Cooked meals? That wasn’t even from a can? It must be a lie.

“How many people live here?” Hazuki asked, looking around.

“37. Well, 39 now with you two. You are staying, aren’t you?” Toshiya looked hopeful. Hazuki smiled back.

“If it’s ok with everyone we’d love to stay a while at least and see how it goes.”

“Of course! And you’re in luck. We’ve just finished building some new cabins, so you can have one for yourselves straight away. Yours will be right next to Asanao’s.”

As Toshiya showed them to a cottage at the far end of the village, he told them that Asanao’s mate had died a while back, from a sickness they had guessed was probably cancer though they had no sure way of telling. They had a nurse here, but no doctor, and it had probably been too late anyway once they got here. Since then, Asanao kept a lot to himself and didn’t say much.

“Akinori died?” Hazuki looked sad at the thought, and Koichi squeezed his hand a little, snuggling up to the alpha. Hazuki released his hand and put his arm around his shoulders as they walked, as if he wanted to feel Koichi was still there with him.

. . . . .

The cottage wasn’t big, but enough for two. They had a real bed, the mattress brought from a village about a day off, Toshiya explained. They had salvaged what they could from houses, villages and towns in the area, but now they had to start relying more on making things themselves.

“We’ll see tomorrow what could be a good fit for you to work with here. There’s building cottages, working the fields, hunting, cooking, crafts and all sorts of things in between, I’m sure we’ll find something that will fit the both of you. Now I’ll leave you to get acquainted with your new home, and I’ll see you at the big house at seven.” The pair thanked him as he left, leaving the two alone to look around. Apart from the bed, they had a fireplace for warmth, a table with two simple and mismatched chairs, and a small and simple chest of drawers. The furniture looked like it had been collected here and there, a complete mismatch, but it was all functional and in good condition. On the table were mugs, glasses and plates, just as mismatched but still adding to the feel of a real home. The table was placed by the cottage’s only window, draped by thick curtains, the bed on the other side of the room so it was out of sight from curious eyes.

Koichi jumped up on the bed and stretched out, closing his eyes with a sigh, relaxing into the mattress. He yelped in surprise when Hazuki suddenly jumped in after him, pinning his lover to the bed, attacking his lips with hot kisses until Koichi felt dizzy. Only then did the alpha pull back, caressing the pink locks as he looked down at the omega affectionately.

“See? I told you this would be a good place.”

Koichi snorted and huffed a little. “I’m sure there’s _something_ wrong with it. My hunches are never wrong,” he quipped, pretending to be annoyed but failing miserably. He had to give up the pretense as Hazuki suddenly tickled him, and he squirmed in laughter. When he had finally calmed down again, he looked seriously at Hazuki.

“Honestly though, I still feel a little weird. Your friends seem really nice, but there are so many people neither of us know, and, I don’t know, there’s just something here that makes me nervous. I can’t say what, I don’t know.” But as he said it, Reita’s cold eyes popped up in his memory and he shuddered.

“It’s gonna be ok, Kou, I promise. We’ll be eating a real dinner tonight, can you believe it? And we’re sleeping in a real bed tonight, a bed that is _ours_. Don’t forget about the other omegas either, maybe you’ll make new friends here?”

Koichi knew Hazuki was right. He just couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling, but decided to try for Hazuki’s sake. He grinned.

“Does a real bed mean sex all night?”

Hazuki laughed, leaning down to kiss him again. “Yes it does,” he said, amused smirk on his lips.

They rested for a while on the bed, kissing lazily now and then and just enjoying being able to rest without having to look for escape routes first.

“I wonder what time it is,” Koichi yawned. Hazuki looked around and then pointed at a wall clock above the door. It pointed to six thirty. They looked at each other, the feeling of having a clock to watch again a bit surreal, but in a good way. It felt like a bit of the old world was back, and it gave them a sense of normalcy they hadn’t felt in a long while.

Getting off the bed, Hazuki offered Koichi a hand. “Shall we go see if they have any use for us at the big house?” he asked, winking. Koichi grumbled and almost refused to leave the blessed softness until he remembered the promise of cooked food. Hand in hand, they made their way to the big house.

. . . . .

The dinner was a joyous affair. Everyone seemed happy to see them, and they were greeted as long lost friends even though Hazuki only knew half of them and Koichi was new to everyone. There were more alphas than omegas, but not as bad as Koichi had feared. He immediately got attacked by a cheery young omega who introduced himself as Subaru, and soon found himself dragged away to meet a whole bunch of other omegas. He looked back at Hazuki, a little nervous at being separated, but Hazuki smiled at him reassuringly and waved him off.

There was Ruki, of course, and in turn he was introduced to Cazqui, Kuina, Kei, Hiyuu, Kazuki, Ryoga, Daichi, Natsu, Shinya, Tomo and Yo-Ka. Yuuki, he learned, was resting with his new baby, and his mate Ichirou was with him.

“Are there many kids here?” he asked, curious. Subaru shook his head.

“Just three more. Uruha has two kids with Kai, and Masa has a little one with Miya, but that’s all of them. That’s why we’re so exited about Yuuki’s new baby,” he smiled happily. Koichi looked around for the children, but Subaru laughed at him. “They’re all being put to bed now, silly. It’s over seven. You’ll meet them and Uruha and Masa tomorrow. They’ll be glad to meet you too! But look, dinner’s ready. Come on, let’s eat!”

It was impossible not to smile at Subaru, the omega spreading happiness around him wherever he went. As they sat down to eat, Koichi looked around for Hazuki and found him sitting at a table on the other side of the room, talking and laughing with a large group of alphas. Koichi wished he could go over and sit with his lover, but that would be rude now that he was the center of the omegas’ attention. He still felt a little naked and nervous about being separated from the alpha, but the feeling eased a little as Hazuki turned his head to search for him, smiling widely when their eyes found each other’s. This was a good place. So why did Koichi still hear a little voice in the back of his head telling him to run?

The food was a slice of heaven, there really was no other word for it. The others smiled happily, laughing at his sounds and expressions as he ate the first real cooked meal he’d had in over a year. Since fires could bring the attention of others and matches were hard to come by, cooked food was a luxury few could afford out there. Glancing over at Hazuki, he saw the alpha equally enjoying his meal. He was just about to turn back to the other omegas when his eyes met a stony stare. Reita. The alpha was staring at him from across the room. He sat at the end of a table, a little off to himself, and looked just as grumpy and disdainful as he had on the shore earlier that day. Koichi met his eyes, the fear suddenly surging over him again. He forced himself to look away and turn to Hiyuu, who was asking him about their travels. He had instantly liked the omega, and didn’t want to seem rude to a new friend, so he talked for a while about what they had seen on their way to the island. Hiyuu had been here almost from the beginning, he learned, and was curious about the outside world. When he glanced back towards Reita’s corner some time later, the chair was empty.

. . . . .

Hazuki was enjoying himself immensely, the dinner fantastic and meeting his friends again utterly amazing. They talked about everything that had happened since they parted, and he was told of how they had gotten this little village up and running. It hadn’t been easy at first, but they had made it, and now everything was working smoothly. They were very happy to hear about Hazuki’s collection of seeds, as they had worked the ground to make room for more crops last year but still didn’t have that many different kinds of vegetables. 

They told him how they had taken in travellers sometimes, making sure everyone knew the rules of the new home, and how they had made themselves a working community.

In turn, Hazuki told them of what he’d been through in the world outside, skipping Yusuke’s death. It had been blatantly obvious to them all that it was coming, even as they had left the two behind. When he got to the part where he met Koichi, he hesitated a little, not knowing how much the omega wanted him to tell others about their first meeting.

“He’s cute and seems nice,” Die said, glancing over at the pink haired omega who was very obviously enjoying his dinner, “but he seems a bit… jumpy.”

Hazuki looked over at his lover, smiling to himself at the sight of Koichi devouring his food greedily. He turned back to the alphas, thinking of how to explain it without making his lover feel too exposed.

“He’s had some bad experiences. Loosing friends in really bad ways. And well… Let’s just say he has his reasons not to trust alphas much. I found him in pretty bad shape and took care of him while he healed, I guess that might have something to do with him starting to trust me eventually.” He looked at the omega again, who was talking to the other omegas, while unconsciously rubbing his wounded arm.

“Which reminds me, we should get that cast off tonight and have a look at his arm. I just hope it healed right, I did what I could but I’m no doctor. He was in so much pain from all his wounds he passed out several times.”

“We can ask Tatsurou to have a look at it tomorrow in daylight if you want. He was a nurse, so he at least knows more than most of us,” Toshiya said sympathetically. Hazuki nodded gratefully. Looking around the table at his friends, he felt more at peace than he had in a long while. Kai with his happy smile who took care of everyone, Aoi with the constant smirk and the big heart, Kaoru the great leader, Yukihiro who was constantly calm and collected, and all the rest of them smiling back at him. Today was a good day.

. . . . .

When they finally made their way back to the cottage, the air had gotten pretty chilly. Koichi was glued to Hazuki’s side after being separated from him all evening. They were more than happy to get inside and start a fire in the fireplace. Toshiya had explained that they always pulled the curtains over the window at night to keep too much light from leaking out and perhaps drawing unwanted attention. They had a nice life here, and were pretty well protected, but that didn’t mean someone wouldn’t try to take it from them.

Soon enough, the small cottage was warm and they snuggled down under the blankets in their very own bed. Snuggling soon led to more touching, which in turn soon led to more indecent things. It took half the night before they were both spent, Hazuki spooning Koichi from behind while his knot shrank. Sleepily he nuzzled the omega’s neck, enjoying their closeness and happy that he had led his lover to safety.


	11. Chapter 11

Koichi was dreaming. Somewhere his mind knew and tried to tell him as much, but the terror was too real for him to listen. He was chased through ruins, trying to get away from a whole pack of alphas. He saw Mia getting shot in the head, his baby belly impossibly big where he lay bleeding on the ground. He watched Meto being raped and then ripped to pieces by an alpha who looked more like a monster than anything else. He tried to run up to Meto and hold him, save him, but his coat had snagged in something, and when he turned to get it loose, he realized it was the fat alpha from the pharmacy that held him in a steel grip. He opened his mouth to scream when the alpha took out his huge knife and…

“Kou, baby, wake up! You’re having another nightmare.” He woke with a start, Hazuki shaking his shoulder, and realized he wasn’t just screaming in the dream. Abruptly, he stopped, staring wide-eyed at his alpha before he started crying violently. Hazuki wrapped his arms around him and held him to his chest, slowly rocking back and forth while whispering soothing words. This wasn’t unusual, it happened at least a few times a week, but it cut Hazuki’s heart every time he saw the omega in such distress.

Koichi was starting to calm down just a little when they heard a knock on the door. Hazuki turned his head at the door and frowned, still clutching his sobbing lover, not wanting to let go. But the knock came again, harder this time, and he gave Koichi a kiss on the forehead before he let go of him.

“I’ll be right back, babe,” he said soothingly, and tugged on some underwear before he got up from the bed and went to open the door. Asanao was standing outside, looking like he had dressed in a hurry, a worried expression on his face.

“Sorry to disturb, but are you alright? I woke up and heard someone scream.”

Hazuki bowed a little, politely.

“We’re fine, I’m sorry we woke you. Kou had a nightmare.”

“Must have been some nightmare,” Asanao said, peeking in the room behind Hazuki, clearly not sure if he should accept the explanation or not. Hazuki frowned a little and tried to block his view, not wanting the omega to feel exposed. Koichi suddenly realized that Asanao wondered if Hazuki had hurt him, and hurried to scramble off the bed, clutching a sheet around him.

“I’m sorry I woke you, Asanao-san. I had a really bad dream,” he said, bowing politely. Asanao looked at him, a little startled to see the omega’s tear streaked face.

“Don’t worry about it,” he stuttered, a little embarrassed. “Are you ok now?”

“Mmm, thanks. I’m ok,” Koichi said, leaning into Hazuki’s side. The alpha put his arm protectively around him, holding him close, caressing his hair. Apparently the tender scene calmed Asanao’s suspicions, and he quickly said goodnight, offering his excuses once again. When they closed the door behind him, Hazuki lifted Koichi up in his arms and carried him back to bed. He tucked him in carefully and lay down beside him, wrapping himself around the omega like a protective shell.

“I’m sorry I screamed,” Koichi mumbled, embarrassed by Asanao’s visit.

“Don’t worry about it, babe. It’s nice to know he cares enough to check it out.”

“How long have you known him?” Koichi was curious. He knew the alphas were friends, but they couldn’t be too close if the alpha could think Hazuki would hurt him.

“We’re more of acquaintances really. We shared some friends, so we’ve met now and then, but we haven’t talked that much before. I like him though, he might seem quiet and stoic but he’s got a good heart. I knew his mate better, he was friends with Yusuke. I’m sad to hear he died.”

Koichi nodded. He still felt a little embarrassed but the dream had left him feeling exhausted, and he soon fell asleep with his head on Hazuki’s arm and his arm on the alpha’s chest.

. . . . .

The next morning, Hazuki was gone when he woke up. He quickly dressed and stepped outside, looking around anxiously for his lover.

“He’s at the big house.” The voice made him jump, and he spun around to face Asanao. The alpha sat outside his cottage, maybe ten meters away from their own. Koichi now realized why Asanao had woken up last night. He had been too overwhelmed yesterday to notice just how close to each other the cottages were. If Asanao had heard, had anyone else? Even if Asanao’s was the closest, there were several other cottages within range.

Koichi bowed again, blushing a little. “I’m sorry once again that I woke you last night.”

Asanao shook his head. “Don’t be, I just got worried. You sounded like you were in pain.”

“I was. In the dream, I mean,” Koichi mumbled, looking down at his feet. He didn’t want to reveal his dreams to an unknown alpha like this, but he wanted to make sure Asanao understood it had really been a dream, not Hazuki hurting him. He was still nervous that someone here would try to separate him from the alpha. Asanao smiled at him and nodded.

“I hope you slept better after.”

“Mmm, I did, thank you.”

He was just about to bid the alpha farewell to go up to the big house when he heard a voice calling his name. It was Subaru, running up to him with Hiyuu in tow. The omegas looked at him, a little worried.

“Hi! Are you ok? We heard a scream tonight.”

“Hi,” Koichi mumbled, beet red. Did everyone know by now? “I’m fine, it was just a bad dream.”

“Wow, it must have been really awful,” Subaru said sympathetically, patting his new friend’s arm. “Come on, let’s get you some breakfast and you’ll feel better!”

Koichi smiled at the omega. It seemed impossible for Subaru to be anything but cheerful for longer than a minute at a time. Hiyuu smiled at him too, and gave him a pat on the back as they walked up to the house.

On the way, they shared their “after” stories. Hiyuu had come to the island about four months after day one with his mate, Hiro. They had lived in a town not too far away, but they had wandered around the area until they had run into Die and Asanao in the woods one day. The two alphas had joined them for a while, talking, feeling them out, before they invited the two to come to the island with them.

Subaru had been a part of the original gang that came up here, he had been a friend of a friend of a friend of Toshiya’s and had been lucky enough to be there for a visit when disaster struck. They had been nine alphas and seven omegas, leaving the city to come here that day. Die had been one of them of course, but the two hadn’t started having feelings for each other until a few months ago.

“We knew each other pretty well before, of course, and I liked him well enough as a friend. But suddenly it was as if I looked at him and he was a completely different person who was perfect for me,” Subaru said, a huge smile on his face. “What about you? How did you meet Hazuki? How long have you been together? He seems really nice.”

“He is,” Koichi smiled. “But we haven’t known each other that long. We met less than two months ago.”

“Really? What happened? Was it awesome?” Subaru almost jumped in excitement. Koichi, however, paled at the memory.

“Not… not really. Well, meeting him was, but I didn’t know that at the time.” His voice trailed off. He didn’t want to talk about that day. Especially not with the memory of the dream fresh in his mind. Hiyuu put his hand on his shoulder, and Subaru looked unsure.

“Are you ok? Sorry we’re nosy, it’s just not that often we get new people here anymore, and we’re dying for tales from the real world,” Hiyuu said. Koichi realized he must be looking grim, and hurried to smooth out his features and smile.

“No worries. I just… I don’t like to talk about it much. Out there… It’s not very nice anymore. Especially not for omegas without an alpha. Come on, let’s go have breakfast instead.”

The others looked as if they wanted to say something more but thought better of it. Instead they chatted about the island and the others who lived there, pointing out cottages and who lived where with whom. Finally, they reached the big house and walked into the dining room where breakfast was almost over. The omegas got plates loaded up with food, and Koichi stared in wonder at his breakfast. Cooked food. He still couldn’t really believe it.

He saw Hazuki sitting at a table with a few other alphas and wanted to run up to him, but hesitated. Was it ok to approach a table with only alphas? He looked to Hiyuu, uncertain. The omega smiled, understanding his unspoken question. Before he could answer it though, Hazuki looked up and smiled when he spotted the omega.

“Hey Kou, over here!”

Koichi nodded goodbye at Hiyuu and Subaru and went over to the alpha. Hazuki reached up and took his plate from him, putting it on the table before he pulled the omega onto his lap. He nuzzled his boyfriend’s neck before giving him a quick kiss. “Are you feeling better, babe?” he asked softly in Koichi’s ear. The omega nodded, leaning his head on the alphas shoulder before looking around the table. Toshiya and two more alphas Koichi didn’t recognize sat there, looking at him a little curiously.

“Koichi, this is Kai and Tatsurou. Guys, meet Koichi,” Hazuki introduced them. “Tatsurou is a nurse, and he’s going to have a look at your arm and the wound in your side, babe. He’ll give us both a checkup.”

A checkup? How much of a checkup were they talking? Koichi swallowed hard at the thought of another alpha seeing him without clothes on. “You’ll be there as well, right?” he whispered shyly in Hazuki’s ear. The alpha smiled, caressing his cheek and pulling a lock of hair behind the omega’s ear. “I will. Don’t worry, babe, I won’t leave you when you need me.” Koichi sighed with relief. He reached for his breakfast and dug in with content little sounds. He didn’t even notice Hazuki’s affectionate smile or the other alphas’ amused ones.

Once he had finished, Tatsurou led the two of them to a room at the back of the house, where there was a bed and some shelves with medical equipment. It wasn’t much, but it was a lot more than either of them had seen in a long time.

“I keep all the medicine here, and I hope you’re ok with leaving what you have here with me as well. It will be used wisely, I promise.”

Hazuki nodded. “We’ll bring it up later.”

“Can I keep my heat suppressants?” Koichi asked, suddenly worried. He really didn’t want to leave them in someone else’s hands, since they had been so hard to come by.

“Don’t worry, that’s ok. So far we have enough to last at least a year. The mated omegas don’t need them, and we have enough for the unmated right now. How many do you have?”

“23,” Koichi admitted unwillingly. Those pills were his treasure.

“Ok, so about what we have per omega then. If it makes you feel safer to keep them with you instead of leaving them here with me, that’s fine. But I promise I would take good care of them if you did.”

Hazuki pulled the omega close, and looked at Tatsurou. “I think we’ll keep them with us for now if that’s ok, but we’ll bring the rest, such as it is.” Tatsurou bowed his head in acknowledgement and turned to pick out some tools for removing the cast.

“I’m curious though,” Hazuki continued, “you said the mated omegas don’t need them? Surely an omega in heat isn’t a very good idea in a small place like this?”

Tatsurou laughed, shaking his head. “No, that would be a very bad idea indeed. We have a heat cabin on the other side of the island, and we’re building another one right now. When an omega is about to go into heat, we pack him and his alpha off with a bunch of food and a big stack of towels. They have a pretty nice week there, I must say. No work and all play.” He smirked a little, picking up the scissors and reaching out for Koichi’s hand. “Let’s start with the arm. How long ago did you break it?”

“About six or seven weeks ago.”

“Hm. Might be too soon to take it off then, but I’d like to see how it heals.”

Tatsurou got to work, and hummed approvingly at Koichi’s weak and pale but nicely healed arm. He then looked over the scars on his face, before he asked the omega to strip down to his underwear. Koichi felt his cheeks burn and looked at Hazuki, fear returning to his eyes. His lover reached out and grabbed Koichi’s hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly.

The feeling of unknown hands on his body made him shiver, but Tatsurou was gentle when he looked him over, paying extra attention to the newer wounds but also noticing the substantial amount of older scars the omega had accumulated over the last two years. He finally finished, letting Koichi dress, and smiled to the omega.

“It seems Hazuki patched you up nicely, you’ll keep some scars but that should be all,” he said. “But stay off lifting heavy stuff or working too hard with that arm for at least another month, ok?” Koichi nodded, glad it was over and very happy the cast was finally off. He stayed and waited while Hazuki got his checkup and all clear, admiring his alpha’s body and letting his eyes feast on the tattooed arms and chiseled chest. Finally, they were done and Tatsurou waved off their thanks before starting to clean up the room. Hazuki and Koichi went in search of Toshiya to get assigned tasks and find their place in this new life of theirs.


	12. Chapter 12

They soon got used to the new schedule. Since Koichi’s arm was still weak, he wasn’t allowed to do any heavy work, but helped here and there with lighter tasks. Hazuki was put on the rota for hunting. Every alpha did one hunting trip every other week, ensuring that they always had fresh meat. Between the hunting trips he was assigned to help building another heat cottage, at least until it was time to start working the fields. That meant he was off on the other side of the island most of the day, leaving Koichi to get to know the other inhabitants of the island.

After a week and a half the omega started to relax, though he still had bad dreams every other night. He did his best to keep clear of Reita, who still unnerved him with his staring, but the alpha seemed to show up at the must opportune moments. Koichi spent his time making new friends while helping out where he could. He got along great with Subaru and Hiyuu, and also made fast friends with Casqui, Natsu and Kuina. Often, Shinya came by and hung around him as well, but they never really spoke. It seemed Die’s comment the first day about Shinya only speaking to Toshiya wasn’t too far from the truth. Koichi liked the guy anyway, feeling some kind of connection between them without really knowing why.

He learned that Shinya and Toshiya were indeed dating, but didn’t live together. The single omegas had rooms on the top floor of the big house, while the single alphas shared cottages two and two. Subaru and Die had just moved in together, while Hiyuu and Hiro shared a cottage near Koichi’s. Casqui, Kuina and Natsu all lived in the big house, but Natsu had his eyes set on an alpha named Yukke. So far the progress was slow, but the omega claimed he had high hopes of finally catching the eye of his chosen one soon.

Life seemed to finally settle down a little. That is, until the storm. It was about five weeks after they came to the island. The weather had been rough from around mid day, and towards the evening rain and hard winds hit the island. As the winds started to tear at the cottages, most of them gathered in the main hall for dinner away from the storm. Nights like these they usually all spent at the big house, which was sturdily built and had no trees within range that could fall on it.

It was Hazuki’s day to go hunting, and Koichi was fretting, worried that his lover and the other alphas wouldn’t make it home across the lake in the big waves. When the others went up to the house, he stayed behind, waiting for Hazuki to return. He laid out some dry clothes and lit a fire, trying to keep the cottage warm for when Hazuki came back. That done, he started pacing the room, impatient and nervous. As the hours ticked by, he was getting more and more scared something bad had actually happened. He tried to reason with himself. They probably stayed on the mainland for the night rather than brave the water. Right?

When he heard the door open behind him, relief flooded through him, and he turned around with a big smile on his face.

It wasn’t Hazuki. It was Reita. Koichi’s smile quickly faded as he paled and stared at the alpha. Reita smirked at him, taking a step inside and closing the door behind him. He was drenched, but it didn’t seem to bother him as he stared at the omega.

“What are you doing here? Hazuki isn’t here yet,” Koichi stuttered, immediately regretting his words as Reita grinned.

“I know,” he said, a dangerous edge to his voice.

“He’ll be back any minute though! If you wait for him at the big house I’ll tell him to go see you right away.” Koichi wanted desperately for the alpha to go, and for Hazuki to walk through that door right now. No such luck though, as Reita just laughed and took another step towards the omega.

“I want you to go, now! I’ll scream if you come any closer,” he said, his voice cracking as he felt the old familiar fear well up. _Not now. Not here._ _Not when I was finally starting to feeling safe._

Reita ignored him, slowly advancing toward the omega, the grin on his face wider. Everyone was at the big house, and besides, who would hear the omega over the howling wind? Koichi started to back up until he realized he felt the bed against the back of his calves. He needed to get out of there. A quick dart of the eyes around made him realize he had no weapons anywhere near the bed. So. The only option was to run. Reita was still moving towards him, arms outstretched, taking up most of the room’s width. But if he crouched and ducked underneath his arm, to the left? He had about two more seconds to think about it before it was too late. He went for it, dodging to the right before he dived left beneath Reita’s arm. He scrambled to his feet and was at the door in two seconds flat. Unfortunately, so was Reita. A rough hand grabbed him from behind, dragging him away from the door.

Koichi screamed, kicking wildly and thrashing in the alpha’s grip. A hard fist hit his jaw, splitting his lip and making his ears ring. It was followed by a punch in his stomach that made him double over.

“Stay still, you little shit!” Reita was growling. “You’re just a little tease, wiggling your ass around and showing off those pink locks like you’re something special. Think you can tease people like that, huh? Think just because you got a useless alpha you’ll be protected? Well, you’re wrong. Because he’s not here to stop me from getting what I want, is he?”

Still wobbly and breathless from the punch, Koichi whimpered, trying to get his body to listen to him. He had to fight. He didn’t stand a chance against Reita’s strong arms however, as he was pushed down on the bed with his arms locked behind his back. _No, please god, no. Not again._ Koichi finally got his voice to obey him and screamed again, squirming as much as he managed under Reita’s weight. With a growl, Reita grabbed his left arm and twisted it hard. As he felt the arm snap and break once again, Koichi screamed from the blinding pain.

“That should teach you to keep still,” Reita muttered in his ear. “I’ll make sure you can never have anyone else again, especially not that asshole alpha of yours.”

“Please,” Koichi whispered, panic in his voice. “Don’t bite me. Do what you want but don’t bite me.”

Reita’s response was to laugh. “Oh, I’ll bite you alright, you little whore. I’ll bite you so you’ll be ruined for everyone else.”

His hands started working on Koichi’s pants, the omega pleading desperately for him to stop.

The hands suddenly let go and the weight disappeared, and Koichi turned around clumsily on the bed to see what happened. When he finally managed to turn around, he was met by the sight of Asanao and Reita struggling on the floor right next to him, throwing punches at each other where they could. He blinked, stunned, and so he didn’t react quickly enough when Reita’s fist missed Asanao’s face by a hair’s width. The blow hit him right across the temple.

And then there was nothing but darkness.

. . . . .

He was cold and wet. He was bumping up and down in someone’s arms. His arm slid off his chest and fell down. Unbearable pain. The darkness that came was a blessing.

. . . . .

He heard voices, angry and upset. He wished people would stop fighting. A loud crash like something falling. Someone grabbed his arm. Someone else screamed. It might have been him.

. . . . .

Someone was undressing him. He didn’t want to and tried to sit up to get away, but was pushed back down again. His head spun and he felt bile rise in his mouth. Someone turned him on his side and held him over the edge while he threw up.

. . . . .

Darkness. Blessed darkness.

. . . . .

Hazuki was wet as a drenched rat when he came back to the cottage. The wind had finally died down enough for them to dare risk the boat ride, he and Kai working the front oars, Toshiya and Yukke on the rear. He put his head in the door of the cottage to look for the omega but found it empty. Koichi had laid out dry clothes for him on a chair near the door, and he smiled at the thoughtfulness but decided against changing into them as the omega wasn’t there and he would get wet again on the way to the big house to see him. Instead he joined the others and went up to the big house, looking forward to something warm to drink.

When the four stepped into the room, however, they found it in turmoil. Some omegas were crying, and a group of alphas were arguing loudly in the middle of the room. Asanao was yelling at Miya, while Die did his best to get everyone to calm down and stop screaming. They were all looking pretty grim though, and Miya was just about to yell back at Asanao when he spotted Hazuki near the door. The room fell silent, everyone looking at Hazuki. Everyone except Tatsurou, who was bent over a table, nursing someo…

Hazuki was by Koichi’s side in a millisecond, eyes wide as he took in his unconscious lover’s roughed up face, the obviously broken arm and the beginnings of a large bruise starting to form over the lower ribs.

“What happened?” he demanded, his voice hard but his hand soft as he gently let his fingers run through the omega’s hair. “Is he…?”

“I think he’ll be ok, but we need to wait and see. He got a blow to the head. Hopefully it’s just a concussion.” Tatsurou sounded calm when he answered but his tightly clenched jaws gave him away.

“Who did this to him?”

Silence answered him at first. Then Asanao opened his mouth to speak.

“That asshole Reita. I went down with some food for Koichi, since he was so adamant on waiting for you in the cottage, and I found that bastard hurting him and trying to get his clothes off. I tried to get him off, but in the fight Reita missed me and hit him in the head instead. I’m sorry.”

Hazuki swallowed hard, his face a mask of cold fury.

“And where is Reita now?” he demanded, murder in his eyes.

“He got away. I couldn’t go after him until I got Koichi to Tatsurou, but then when I tried to go back out to find him these assholes wouldn’t let me.” Asanao was getting angry again.

Hazuki looked down at his boyfriend again, and gently leaned down to give him a tender kiss on the unharmed cheek. Then he stood back up and turned to Asanao.

“Ok, let’s go kill that bastard. Kai, give me the gun.”

A storm of voices rose again, people shouting, until Toshiya’s voice finally cut through.

“Shut up, everyone! Think of Koichi, give him some peace and quiet for fuck’s sake! Now, Hazuki, we all want to catch Reita, but it’s insane to go out into the storm tonight and try to find him now. He’s not going anywhere, he can’t take the boat on his own. Let him have a night of misery outside in the rain and cold. We can find him tomorrow, without risking our own lives!”

“I’m not gonna wait,” Hazuki snarled, taking a few steps towards the door. Asanao took a step forward to join him, and Aoi nodded angrily and made to follow.

“Guys, please. He could surprise us and attack in the darkness, or we could fall and break our necks because we can’t see where we’re going. We could even pass by him and not see him in this weather!” Toshiya pleaded. “Hazuki, I understand how you feel, believe me, I do but…”

“No you don’t,” Hazuki interrupted, furious. “You don’t understand shit. I promised him I would keep him safe from all the fucking rapist assholes out there. I promised he’d he safe here, that he’d never have to go through that shit again, and I… he…” His voice failed him, and he hid his face in his hands, breathing deeply to calm down. The room fell silent once again, as everyone grasped the implications of Hazuki’s angry speech. Subaru gasped and put his hand over his mouth, tears rising in his eyes as he realized where his friend got his scars and why he didn’t like talking about the world outside much.

In the silence, Shinya rose and made his way quietly across the room. He stopped in front of Hazuki, gently reaching out and pulling his hands off his face, revealing pained eyes. Confused, he let Shinya pull him back to Koichi’s side. The omega lifted Koichi’s unhurt arm and put his hand in Hazuki’s and then closed his hands around theirs for a second before he let go.

“He needs you now. He won’t forget what happened any faster if you kill Reita tonight. He will carry it with him, dream about it at night, see them…” His voice faltered for a second before he continued. “He will see them do those things to his friends and feel them do it to himself at night for years to come. He doesn’t need someone to get revenge tonight. He needs someone to chase the dreams away when he wakes up screaming tomorrow.”

It was the longest speech anyone had heard Shinya utter, and everyone stared at him in shock. Hazuki looked the omega in the eyes, the rage slowly seeping out of him until he sighed deeply. “So you too? I’m sorry,” he said softly. “But you’re right. I will kill Reita for what he did, but not tonight.” His hand reached out and squeezed Shinya’s shoulder gently. “Thank you.” The words were soft, but spoken with emphasis. He released Shinya’s shoulder and pulled up a chair to sit down next to his lover, lifting his hand to his lips for a gentle kiss.

Shinya stood there, watching the two for a moment, before he turned around to find Toshiya standing behind him. Their eyes met for a long moment, tears trickling down Toshiya’s cheeks. Then Shinya took a step forward and buried his face in Toshiya’s chest, the alpha pulling him close, hiding his face in the omega’s hair. Slowly, the room was filled with murmuring voices once again. A few omegas were still crying softly, while others comforted them. People settled in, the fight over for tonight. Eyes darted to the two couples, but no one wanted to poke at the open wound right now. It was well past midnight, and the storm was still raging outside.

Tatsurou looked around the room at all the tired, upset faces.

“Ok, everyone, time for bed, nurse’s orders. Can someone lend a mattress and blankets to Koichi tonight? I don't want to move him more than necessary, and I need him where I can keep an eye on him, but he should have something better to sleep on.”

“He can have mine and I’ll share with Daichi tonight,” Casqui said, Daichi nodding. The omegas went off to get the bedding while Die raised his voice.

“We’ll have to share, no one’s going out tonight. We’ll put up guards at the doors, rotating schedule of two hours each. I’ll start, Aoi, Miya, you’re with me.” As the three alphas secured the entrances, everyone else slowly left the room to find places to sleep. The unmated omegas all squeezed into two rooms, leaving the other six to the single alphas and pairs.

Tatsurou and Hazuki made the bed for Koichi and put him under the covers. Hazuki lay down next to his lover and grabbed the omega’s hand, while Tatsurou made himself as comfortable as he could in a chair.

The night was mostly uneventful, the guards changing shifts every two hours. There was no sight of Reita, but Hazuki couldn’t relax and sat up at every noise. Koichi was still all through the night, and when morning came, he still hadn’t moved or made a sound. Tatsurou checked his pulse and breathing now and then, but didn’t try to wake him.

Hazuki had finally fallen into a restless sleep somewhere around dawn. When the first people came down to get started on the breakfast, he was curled up next to Koichi on the mattress, a worried frown on his face even in sleep. The room slowly filled with people, tiptoeing around them and whispering as not to wake the two. A gloomy Tatsurou nodded off now and then, dark rings under his eyes from being awake most of the night to watch his patient.

When Koichi stirred and gave a little moan, both men jumped awake to check on the omega. The whole room fell silent, everyone’s eyes glued to Koichi’s small shape.

“Kou, babe?” Hazuki tried. “Are you awake?”

Koichi turned his head a little and groaned and then slowly opened his eyes a little, blinking in the morning light.

“Hey babe, I’m so glad to see you awake,” Hazuki said softly, his hand reached out to cup the omega’s face. “You had me so worried.”

Koichi blinked again, his eyes starting to focus on the alpha. Then he suddenly flinched and tried to sit up and reach for something. His arms got tangled under the bedding as he tried to get free. The movement sent a shockwave of pain through his arm and made his head spin and he cried out, falling back onto the mattress.

“Hey, hey, shhhh, babe, take it easy,” Hazuki soothed and caressed him, trying to calm him with his touch. “You’re hurt.”

Koichi stared at him in near panic, his breathing fast and irregular, still trying to get rid of the bedding to reach up to his neck.

“Did he bite me? Did he bite?” he asked frantically, his voice cracking as he almost choked on the words.

“No, babe, no! He didn’t bite you, I swear. Relax, you’re ok, baby, you’re ok… Asanao got to you in time.” Hazuki had trouble holding back his tears, his arms around the omega, rocking him gently. Someone in the room sobbed loudly, but Hazuki hardly noticed it.

Koichi slowly relaxed into his arms. When he finally got his right arm free of the sheets he threw it around Hazuki’s neck and buried his face in the alpha’s hair, crying. For a long moment they sat there, arms around each other, Hazuki’s cheek leaning on the top of Koichi’s head as he gently caressed his lover’s back.

“He said,” Koichi whispered, “he said he’d ruin me for you. So you couldn’t have me. So I couldn’t have anyone else but him.”

Hazuki closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. His arms tightened possessively around the omega as he turned his head to kiss Koichi’s forehead.

“He didn’t, baby, he didn’t. You’re still mine. I’ll be by your side forever, babe. He’s not gonna take you away from me, I swear.”

Koichi made a relieved sound and slumped in Hazuki’s arms, feeling sleep come over him again as he relaxed. Hazuki carefully helped him to lie back down and tucked him in again. He caressed his lover’s cheek before he leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead, mindful of the swollen lip.

“Sleep, babe. Sleep and get well. I’m gonna go find Reita and kill him. He’s never gonna touch you again,” he said, sitting back up.

Koichi whimpered and his hand shot out from the covers, reaching for the alpha.

“Don’t leave me!” he said, fear gripping him again at the thought of Hazuki leaving. Hazuki quickly took his hand and leaned back down.

“It’s ok, Tatsurou and your friends will be here to watch you,” he said, kissing the omega softly.

“Please don’t go. Please,” Koichi whispered, tears rising in his eyes again. Hazuki relented at the sight of his lover’s distress and lay back down, wrapping his arm around Koichi.

“Ok, babe. I’ll be right here while you sleep,” he said soothingly. Koichi grabbed onto him and tried to creep closer, and Hazuki pulled him as close as possible and held him tight until he fell asleep again.

When Hazuki turned his head, he realized that the entire room had been listening to their conversation, and he glared at everyone. He realized they hadn’t had much choice without disturbing the two, but he still felt protective of the omega’s privacy. He knew Koichi didn’t like talking about what he’d been through and didn’t want anyone here to treat him any differently. That was pretty much shot to hell now, he thought.

When he looked around the room he saw a mixture of expressions on his friend’s faces. Some were angry, some sad, a bunch of omegas and a few alphas were horrified. All of them held sympathy. Hazuki met Asanao’s eyes. He didn’t need to speak, the alpha realized what he needed from him without words.

“Stay here with him. We’ll find Reita.”

“Bring him back here,” Hazuki growled. “Alive. I want to be the one to kill him.”

Asanao gave a short nod in acknowledgement, and reached for the gun that Kai held in his hand. Kai hesitated for a second, but then handed Asanao the gun. Quickly, they organized a search party, splitting it into smaller groups to search in all directions. They armed themselves with clubs and bats, apart from the gun in Asanao’s hand. Die and Yukke were appointed to stay and protect the omegas in case Reita came this way, and the rest made their way out into the morning damp.

. . . . .

Hazuki had problems being still, waiting for the search party to come back. As the hours went by, he got more and more restless. Koichi slept on, his breathing calmer and some color returning to his face.

It was near lunch when they came back, Subaru calling out from the window where he was keeping watch. Hazuki carefully extracted his arm from under the omega’s head and got up from the bed to meet them. When he got out on the stairs he saw them walking up to the house, Toshiya, Asanao, Kai and Miya carrying something between them. They dropped it on the ground as they came closer, stopping a few meters from the house. Behind Hazuki, the others were starting to pour out of the house to watch.

He slowly walked down the stairs and the few meters to the bundle on the ground and crouched down.

It was Reita. He was very obviously dead. His face bore signs of Asanao’s fists last night and he was dripping wet. Hazuki lifted his head, looking at Toshiya, but before he could open his mouth to say something Toshiya spoke.

“He tried to get off the island on the boat, but couldn’t manage it on his own. He must’ve slipped and fallen out, maybe he hit his head on the way down. We found him drowned in the lake with his coat stuck on the oar. It took a while to get the boat back in though, he had gotten it loose and it was drifting in the middle of the lake. We had to go get a smaller boat from one of the sheds, and we weren’t sure he was there until we could reach it, so the rest kept searching the island.”

Hazuki looked back down at the dead man at his feet. He felt a mixture of anger and relief at finding Reita dead. Anger because he wanted so much to hurt the man for what he had done, relieved because he wouldn’t be able to hurt Koichi again. Koichi. What if the omega woke and everyone was out here? He rose, sighing.

“Take him away and bury him somewhere, or feed him to the animals, I don’t care. Good riddance.” He turned on his heel and went back into the house to snuggle with his sleeping lover.


	13. Chapter 13

Koichi was feeling a lot better. His arm wasn’t hurting with every move he made anymore, but he still had to wear the sling Tatsurou had made for him most of the time. Luckily the break was healing well, and the nurse assured him his arm wouldn’t be crooked (something that had been a big concern of Koichi’s). Right now he had removed the sling, savouring the freedom of movement before he had to put it back on.

His face had almost healed completely, and he sat on the stairs of his cottage, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun with his friends while Hazuki was away building the new heat cottage. He was never really alone anymore, either his friends or Hazuki was around. No one ever talked about it, it was just that one friend always showed up just before someone else was about to leave. He was grateful, though, he still wasn’t comfortable on his own. He knew, of course, that Reita was dead and wouldn’t hurt him again. He also trusted the other alphas on the island. Well, trusted within reason, that was. Which, he guessed, was why he was happy to sit here with Shinya, Natsu, Hiyuu and Subaru.

Subaru was trying to make a furiously blushing Natsu tell him what had happened between him and Yukke last night. Finally, the omega relented.

“Okay, okay! I’ll tell you. It’s just a little embarrassing, but sweet,” Natsu admitted.

“Why? What did he say?” Subaru was jumping up and down where he sat, exited to hear the latest news in the love life of the island’s inhabitants.

“You know that night, when we squeezed into the house all of us because of the storm?” Natsu hesitated, glancing at Koichi to see if he got upset by the memories. Koichi frowned at him and waved at him to continue, equally eager to hear how Natsu had finally caught his long-time crush.

“Well, apparently he ended up sleeping in my bed. And last week, when we were on dinner duty, he came and stood next to me. And then, all of a sudden, he just blurted out that he liked my scent! I was so shocked! He said he had liked sleeping on my pillow, breathing me in. That’s exactly what he said! I must have looked like a complete idiot, I was so shocked my mouth just kept moving and I couldn’t get the words out. And then Hiro called for him and Yukke left before I could say something. I thought for sure I blew it, but then yesterday he asked if I wanted to go fishing with him tomorrow.”

Subaru squealed excitedly, interrupting Natsu’s story, and the omega glared at him.

“I’m sorry, but it’s just so cuuuuute! You said yes, right?!” Subaru exclaimed.

The others laughed, as much at Subaru’s excitement as Natsu’s glowering.

“Come on, finish the story!” Hiyuu said, punching Natsu lightly on the shoulder. He was rewarded with another glare, but Natsu continued.

“Anyway, so I said yes,” Natsu said and frowned at another squeal from Subaru, “and then he leaned over and kissed me. Just a little kiss, no tongue or anything, but it felt soooo good.” He smiled at the memory, and Koichi leaned over and gave him a long hug.

“I’m really happy for you,” he said warmly and smiled at his friend.

“Happy about what?” Hazuki’s voice made them all look up, and Natsu blushed furiously. He quickly excused himself and ran off, the others laughing as they got up to follow him. They hugged Koichi goodbye and went strolling towards the big house to start preparing for dinner.

Hazuki looked after them as they went. “What did I say?” he asked, and Koichi burst out laughing at his confused tone.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said and flung his arms around the alpha, leaning his head on his chest. “Natsu finally caught Yukke’s attention, that’s all.”

“Oh? I didn’t know he was interested. Has that been going on for long?”

“Since before we got here, I think. Yukke was just too thick headed to see it.”

“Mmm,” Hazuki hummed in agreement. “He can be kind of slow to catch on sometimes. Well, I hope they do hit it off. They’re both good people and deserve to be happy.” He looked down on his lover. “Speaking of happy, it’s nice to hear you laugh.” Koichi smiled up at him.

“Well, I have you, don’t I? And it’s nice and warm, and my arm hasn’t hurt even once all day.”

“Oh? So you think it might be in shape for some fun and games in bed tonight?” Hazuki grinned cheekily. Koichi felt his cheeks heat up at the thought, and he tilted his head up to catch Hazuki’s lips in a hungry kiss. They didn’t even notice Asanao coming back to his cottage, glancing at the two lovers with a smile.

Hazuki reached down and lifted Koichi up into his arms, and the omega quickly wrapped his legs around the alpha’s waist as he was carried into the cottage, the door slammed shut behind them.

As he was tossed on his back on the bed, he wondered suddenly if his heat was on its way, as the need for his lover was stronger than in a long time. As Hazuki crawled onto the bed to lean over him and catch his lips in another violent kiss, he mewled and bucked his hips involuntarily against the alpha. His scent washed over the omega, musky, warm and strong. It was heavenly, and he grabbed at the alpha’s shirt to get it off him as soon as possible, to come closer to that amazing body and the rich scent that he wanted to drown himself in.

Hazuki sat back up and pulled off the shirt, reaching down to quickly dispense of Koichi’s clothing. He sat back for a moment, just admiring his lover and taking in the luscious sight before the omega’s needy moan made him hurriedly get rid of his pants and underwear. The alpha stretched out over his now naked lover, letting their cocks slide against each other as he started to kiss and nibble at the omega’s neck and shoulder. Koichi mewled and threw his legs around the alpha’s waist, drawing him in closer. Hazuki kissed his way down the chest, pausing to lavish his attention on the nipples and then letting his fingers trace the contours of the tattoo.

“You know, you never told me what it means,” he mumbled huskily, the deep voice causing Koichi to shiver. It took a while for him to gather his wits enough to answer.

“It’s my birthday. December 22nd.”

“December, huh? So I have a long time to think of a birthday present then,” Hazuki smirked. Before Koichi could ask about the alpha’s birthday, Hazuki’s teeth sunk lightly into his nipple and Koichi stopped thinking as he groaned loudly. He pulled Hazuki back up into a hungry kiss that left them both breathless for a second before Hazuki started licking his jawline and neck.

“Do it. I want you to do it. Bite me,” Koichi moaned, leaning his head to the side, exposing his neck wantonly. He looked up, confused, when Hazuki suddenly paused and lifted his head to look Koichi in the eyes. He looked serious.

“Don’t… Don’t you want to?” Koichi whispered, suddenly scared the alpha had changed his mind. But Hazuki shook his head.

“No, babe, it’s not that. I want to, you have no idea how much I want to bite you and make you my mate.”

“So why are you hesitating?” Koichi whimpered, uncertain. Hazuki sighed a little and let his fingers play with the omega’s hair before he leaned down for a kiss.

“I just want you to be really sure about this, Kou. I can’t take it back once it’s done, you know. I don’t want what’s happened to affect your decision. Are you sure you really want _me_?”

Koichi frowned, suddenly angry. “Is that what you think of me? That I don’t care about you? That I’ll be happy with just anyone as my mate, just to have protection?” He tried to wriggle away from the alpha, hurt that the alpha could ask him such a thing.

Hazuki hurried to stop him from wriggling away and pinned him down beneath him, giving him a kiss that the omega resisted at first, before he gave in to those soft lips. _God he loved those lips._ When he was still and panting once again, Hazuki leaned back up.

“I don’t think you’d take just anyone, babe. I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. There is no opt out clause here, once I bite you it’s forever. Can you honestly say you want me to be your mate for the rest of your life?”

Koichi stopped, realizing why the alpha was so serious about this. He didn’t want this to be influenced by need, or simple want. He wanted it to be for real. Could Koichi give him that? He only took a second to think about it.

“I want you as my mate, forever. I’m more sure than I’ve ever been about anything.” He said, looking up at the alpha earnestly. “I love you.”

Hazuki smiled, leaning down to kiss the omega again. “I love you too, so much,” he whispered, the emotion clear in his voice.

“Enough to want to be with me forever?” Koichi wondered. In response, Hazuki reached a hand into his hair, grabbing it harshly and pulling the omega’s head back, exposing that gorgeous neck. Koichi gasped and moaned as his body responded, his hips bucking again, begging Hazuki to _get in him_. Hazuki licked the exposed neck, nibbling as he positioned himself between the omega’s legs and pushed in until he was completely sheathed in velvety warmth. They both groaned at the amazing feeling, and then his hips started to move, Koichi panting and moaning as the alpha set a languid but firm rhythm. It felt good, oh so good, and Koichi felt his wits scatter as he couldn’t focus on anything but that delicious cock, pounding into him, and the pressure building inside. He threw his legs around the moving hips and tried to pull him in even further, the knot growing steadily, as Hazuki tightened the grip in his hair and pulled it back harshly.

And then, just as the blinding pleasure was reaching its peak, his teeth suddenly sank into Koichi just where neck and shoulder met. The pain seared through him, but mixed into the pain was excitement and blinding lust. It felt like Hazuki’s strong scent washed over him in a crushing wave, imprinting itself on his mind. He had never felt anything like it before, it hurt and felt amazing at the same time, and he cried out as he came hard between them. A few thrusts later, Hazuki reached his climax and groaned deeply as he emptied himself inside of the omega. He collapsed on top of the omega, slowly pulling away from the neck where blood was trickling out of two red wounds. He watched it for a second, the spent omega panting beneath him with his eyes closed and a blissful look on his face.

Hazuki leaned down and licked the wounds clean before he rolled over, pulling the omega on top. Koichi snuggled happily on his chest enjoying the feeling of the two of them joined together in more ways than usual. Hazuki let his fingers trail down the omega’s sides, caressing him lovingly as he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of his lover. No, not his lover. His mate. His lips twitched and he couldn’t stop the massive grin that spread over his face.

“What’s with the grin?” Koichi mumbled sleepily.

“You’re _mine_ now.” Hazuki couldn’t help it, he rolled back over and pinned the omega to the bed, leaning down for a possessive kiss. “All mine,” he whispered huskily as he pulled back from the kiss. Koichi smiled giddily back up at him. “And you’re mine,” he whispered back, his eyes twinkling like stars as he looked deep into the eyes of his mate. “Forever.”

. . . . .

The days afterwards were filled with congratulations, and the others even threw a big party for the two, celebrating their union. As he had predicted, Koichi’s heat was coming on, and the two mates spent their first real heat together in the heat cottage, opting to ignore the suppressants. It was a big step for Koichi to hand the pills over to Tatsurou, and he almost turned back three times on the way to see the nurse. Hazuki laughed at him for dithering, but understood his feelings and held his hand reassuringly as Koichi finally handed over the pills. The nurse accepted them with a smile, and made sure to show them the proper respect as he put them away with the rest of the medicine.

After a week in the heat cabin, the pair made their way back to the little village, only to find it buzzing, people talking in groups. Die came out of the big house, Subaru dragging him down towards the shore.

“I’ll see them later, they’ll come up here you know, and I have to finish up here,” Die protested, Subaru ignoring him and walking on.

“It’s a big thing, another baby coming. I wanna welcome them, so come on!”

Hazuki and Koichi looked at each other, and then followed the pair down towards the boat. As they came closer, they saw that indeed, two new people had been brought to the island. The omega was indeed pregnant, his arm protectively wrapped around his still rather small baby bump, his face turned the other way. The alpha looked familiar though, and there was something about…

A pink streak flew down the beach to the boat, and before anyone could react it had plastered itself onto the new omega.

“Kou! You scared the shit out of me!” Tsuzuku exclaimed, before he threw his arms around his friend, holding him close for a long, long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was it, my first fic. We'll see if there will ever be another, but I hope you enjoyed reading it. Kudos and comments are love!
> 
> Oh, and if anyone is wondering why I made Reita the villain, I have two words for you. Nose band. I can't stand it...


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